a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — dative singular masculine
divided
διαμεμερισμένοι,diamemerismenoi
G1266
to partition thoroughly (literally in distribution · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative plural masculine
three
τρεῖςtreis
G5140
"three" · adjective — nominative plural masculine
against
ἐπὶepi
G1909
properly · preposition
two
δυσὶνdusin
G1417
"two" · adjective — dative plural masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
two
δύοduo
G1417
"two" · adjective — numeral, indeclinable
against
ἐπὶepi
G1909
properly · preposition
three
τρισὶνtrisin
G5140
"three" · adjective — dative plural masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
John 15:18-21 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Acts 14:1-4 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of th…
Micah 7:5-6 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a s…
John 10:19-21 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Acts 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Luke 12:41-53
Here is, I. Peter's question, which he put to Christ upon occasion of the foregoing parable (Luk 12:41): "Lord, speakest thou this parable to us that are thy constant followers, to us that are ministers, or also to all that come to be taught by thee, to all the hearers, and in them to all Christians?" Peter was now, as often, spokesman for the disciples. We have reason to bless God that there are some such forward men, that have a gift of utterance; let those that are such take heed of being proud. Now Peter desires Christ to explain himself, and to direct the arrow of the foregoing parable to the mark he intended. He calls it a parable, because it was not only figurative, but weighty, solid…
peace . . . ? Nay, &c.--the reverse of peace, in the first instance. (See on Mat 10:34-36.) The connection of all this with the foregoing warnings about hypocrisy, covetousness, and watchfulness, is deeply solemn: "My conflict hasten apace; Mine over, yours begins; and then, let the servants tread in their Master's steps, uttering their testimony entire and fearless, neither loving nor dreading the world, anticipating awful wrenches of the dearest ties in life, but looking forward, as I do, to the completion of their testimony, when, reaching the haven after the tempest, they shall enter into the joy of their Lord."
Adam Clarke on Luke 12:52
Five in one house divided - See on Mat 10:35, Mat 10:36 (note).
John Gill on Luke 12:52
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house,.... Which are the five following, mentioned in the next verse; the father and the son, the mother and the daughter, and her daughter-in-law, or son's wife; for the mother and mother-in-law are one and the same person, only standing in different relations; as a mother to her own daughter, and a mother-in-law to her son's wife, or to her husband's daughter by his first wife; though the former best answers to the word used: now from the time of Christ's saying these words, or quickly after this, immediately upon his baptism of sufferings, or soon after his death, when the Gospel should be preached more publicly and extensively, this should b…
The Church Fathers
Or in another way. By three are signified those who have faith in the Trinity, by two the unbelievers who depart from the unity of the faith.
For from now on, in one house, there will be five divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father, mother against daughter, and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Therefore, even according to the literal meaning, the religious explanation is not lacking for those who understand it piously; however, there is a deeper meaning which we should consider because He added: There will be five divided into one group in the house, three into two, and two into three. For who are the five, when it appears that there is subjection of six persons, of father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law? Although the same mother that can be called mother-in-law, since she is the mother of the son, is the mother-in-law of his wife; so that according to the letter of the number, the reason may not be absurd, and it may clearly be shown that the bond of faith is not connected to nature, in which they are obligated by the duty of piety, yet they are free by faith. It does not seem inappropriate either if we give the same meaning through a mystical interpretation. One house, one man. For each house is either of God or of the devil. Therefore, a spiritual house is a spiritual man, as we have in the Epistle of Peter: And you are being built up as living stones, a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood. In this house, two are divided into three, and three into two.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Closet — As used in the New Testament, signifies properly a storehouse (Luke 12: 24), and hence a place of privacy and retirement (Matt. 6:6; Luke 12:3).
Fire · Illustrative of: Persecution — Illustrative of: Persecution
Strife · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Luke 12:35-50
Matthew 24:43-51
Mark 13:34-37
Luke 12:35-50
43. But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly have watched, and would not have permitted his house to be broken into. 44. Therefore, be you also ready; because the Son of man will come at an hour when you are not aware. 45. Who is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master hath appointed over his household, to give them food in due season? 46. Blessed is that servant, whom his master, when he cometh, shall find acting in this manner. 47. Verily I say to you, He will appoint him [165] over all his property. 48. But if that wicked servant shall say in his heart, My ma…
