Bible Strands
Mark 3:24
If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the religious leaders who have just accused him of operating by demonic power. He poses a rhetorical question to expose the logical flaw in their claim before illustrating it with a parable.
The words — The Greek terms μερισθῇ (meristhēa) meaning "shall be divided" and βασιλεία (basileia) meaning "a kingdom" form the core metaphor. Jesus uses these words to describe an internal fracture that guarantees structural collapse.
The thread — The pattern of division causing collapse appears in Zechariah 11:14 where God breaks the staff of Union, and in 2 Samuel 20:1 and 2 Samuel 20:6 where Sheba’s rebellion fractures Israel. The text applies the same logical sequence to show that fractured authority cannot endure.
Why it lands — The verse requires the listener to acknowledge that accusing Jesus of serving Satan would mean Satan is fighting his own government. It demands a clear-eyed assessment of whether a claimed source of power could logically produce the outcome the accusers observe.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Cross-references
- Zechariah 11:14 Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
- 2 Samuel 20:1 Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
- 2 Samuel 20:6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
- Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
- Ezekiel 37:22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.
- Judges 9:23 God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
- Judges 12:1 Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!”
- 1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,
- Isaiah 9:20 They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.