Writers from Jerusalem say Jesus casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub.
Mark 3:27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
Mark 3:27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.
Instead, no, no one has the power to plunder those receptacles of his entering into the house of the strong one except he could first bind the strong one and then he might plunder that house of his.
The KJV translated skips the first two words, but the NIV fails to translate half of them.
This verse seems disconnected from the previous three verses, but it is connected by the words "can" and "house." The word translated as "can" means "to have power." This is important because the topic is the nature of power, in this case, the power of an adversary or suffering. The "no one" here is the "adversary" of Mark 3:23, that doesn't have the power to battle itself or split its realm without falling (Mark 3:24). The word "house" what is splitin , Mark 3:25, but in this verse "the house" is that of the "strong one" who the adversary is inhabiting. In Matthew 12:44, Jesus uses "house" as a metaphor for the mind in which an "unclean spirit" dwells (see the metaphor section below). The word translated as "goods" in the KJV and untranslaed in the NIV specifically means "vessels" in the sense of "containers" so what is plundered it the contents of ones mind. The words used here for "strong man," "goods," and "spoil" are all uncommon, used primarily in this verse and its parallels in the other Gospels. The "house" here is a metaphor for a mind. This is clearer in the Greek because the word translated as "enter" is a word that has the specific meaning of "enter into mind." The general topic has been "evil spirits" all along since Jesus was attacked for tossing out evil spirits.
Our adversaries first ties up our thinking so they can ruin our thoughts.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δύναται οὐδεὶς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι
Instead, no, has the power no one into the house of the strong one entering those receptacles of his to plunder
ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.
except first the strong one he could bind and then that house of his. he might plunder
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "instead" exists in the source we use today. but not in the KJV Greek source
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "not" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "man" is not the common word usually translated as "man."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "enter" is not an active verb but a participle, "entering."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "man" is not the common word usually translated as "man."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "spoil" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to spoil."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "goods" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "will" should be something more like "should."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "man" is not the common word usually translated as "man."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "in fact" should be something more like "instead."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "not" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "enter" is not an active verb but a participle, "entering."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "man" is not the common word usually translated as "man."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "spoil " is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "goods" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "goods" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "of his" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "without" should be something more like "except."
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "tying" is not a participle, but an active verb "tie."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "him" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "strong " is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and " is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "can" should be something more like "could."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation.
missing "instead" -- (OS) The untranslated word "instead" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead," "but instead,"or "rather." It is not the common word usually translated as "but." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this," with a positive one, "instead this."
missing "not" -- (MW) The untranslated word "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. The subjective negative is used later in the verse.
No -- The Greek adjective translated as "no man" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective. However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.
man -- (CW) This is not the word usually translated as "man." This is not the word "man" but the masculine form of the previous word.
can -- (CW) The word translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. Often, in English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. In Greek, it indicates ability or power. This is the active verb here, not a helper verb. It takes an infinitive as "have the ability" does in English. --
enter - (WF) "Enter" is a word that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." It is an infinitive, that is, "to enter into". This is not an active verb. It is in the form of an adjective, "entering." This is NOT what no one has the power to do. This describes the "no one," "no one entering."
into -- The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.
a - The word translated as "a" is the Greek definite article, not the indefinite one, "a." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
strong : "Strong" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use that means "strong", "mighty," and "powerful." The article before it makes it act like a noun. The "man" comes from the fact it is masculine. The word "man" is not used or necessary. The possessive form comes from the case of the noun, which follows the word "house."
man -- (CW) This is not the word usually translated as "man."
's - -- This word "'s" comes from the genitive case of the previous word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
house, The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. We might say "estate" in English to capture this idea.
and The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".
spoil - (WF) "Spoil" is from another uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder." This verb is an infinitive, what the "has the power" refers to. This is not an active verb, but an infinitive.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. The form is the genitive, which usually shows possession. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."
goods, "Goods" is another uncommon noun for Jesus. It means "a vessel", "an implement", "a piece of equipment", "household furnishing," and "an inanimate object." The reference here is to the mind as a "vessel" for thought. It is plural.
except - Two Greek words are translated as "except." Literally, they mean "if not" but this phrase is used to mean "except," "instead," and "but."
he - From the singular form of the verb translated as "bind" below.
will -- (WW) This helping verb indicates that the verb is the future tense, but it isn't. It is in the form of possibility so it needs a "should" or "might."
first - The word translated as "first" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. Here, it is technically an adjective but it plays the role of the English adverb "initially."
bind - "Bind" is an adjective form for a verb that means "to bind", "to keep in bonds", "to tie", "to hinder from," and "to fetter. " The verb is a subjunctive, indicating something that might happen.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
strong : "Strong" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use that means "strong", "mighty," and "powerful." The article before it makes it act like a noun. The "man" comes from the fact it is masculine. The word "man" is not used or necessary. The possessive form comes from the case of the noun, which follows the word "house."
man -- (CW) This is not the word usually translated as "man."
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
then -- The Greek word for "then" means "at this time" or "then." With the subjective negative, the sense is "not when."
he - From the singular form of the verb translated as "spoil" below.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense, but it could also be a subjunctive form, something that "should" or "could" happen. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
spoil - "Spoil" is from another uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder." The "he" is from the The "will" is from the future tense of the verb.
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. The form is the genitive, which usually shows possession. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
house. The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. We might say "estate" in English to capture this idea.
In fact, -- (WW) The untranslated word translated as "in fact" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead," "but instead,"or "rather." It is not the common word usually translated as "but." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this," with a positive one, "instead this."
missing "not" -- (MW) The untranslated word "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. The subjective negative is used later in the verse.
No one -- The Greek adjective translated as "no ond" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective. However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.
can -- (CW) The word translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. Often, in English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. In Greek, it indicates ability or power. This is the active verb here, not a helper verb. It takes an infinitive as "have the ability" does in English. --
enter - (WF) "Enter" is a word that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." It is an infinitive, that is, "to enter into". This is not an active verb. It is in the form of an adjective, "entering." This is NOT what no one has the power to do. This describes the "no one," "no one entering."
missing "into" -- (MW) The untranslated word MW - Missing Word -- The word "into" is not shown in the English translation. "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.
a - The word translated as "a" is the Greek definite article, not the indefinite one, "a." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
strong : "Strong" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use that means "strong", "mighty," and "powerful." The article before it makes it act like a noun. The "man" comes from the fact it is masculine. The word "man" is not used or necessary. The possessive form comes from the case of the noun, which follows the word "house."
man -- (CW) This is not the word usually translated as "man."
's - -- This word "'s" comes from the genitive case of the previous word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
house, The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. We might say "estate" in English to capture this idea.
missing "and " -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".
missing "to spoil " -- (MW) The untranslated word "to spoil" is from another uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder." This verb is an infinitive, what the "has the power" refers to. This is not an active verb, but an infinitive.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
missing "goods" -- (MW) The untranslated word MW - "Goods" is another uncommon noun for Jesus. It means "a vessel", "an implement", "a piece of equipment", "household furnishing," and "an inanimate object." The reference here is to the mind as a "vessel" for thought. It is plural.
missing "of his" -- (MW) The untranslated word "of his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It is possessive and follows the noun so "of his."
without - (WW) Two Greek words are translated as "without." Literally, they mean "if not" but this phrase is used to mean "except," "instead," and "but." They do not mean "
first - The word translated as "first" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. Here, it is technically an adjective but it plays the role of the English adverb "initially."
tying - (WF) "Tying" is an adjective form for a verb that means "to bind", "to keep in bonds", "to tie", "to hinder from," and "to fetter. " The verb is a subjunctive, indicating something that might happen. This is an active verb not a participle.
him up -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "him up" in the Greek source.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
missing "strong " -- (MW) The untranslated word "strong" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use that means "strong", "mighty," and "powerful." The article before it makes it act like a noun. The "man" comes from the fact it is masculine. The word "man" is not used or necessary. The possessive form comes from the case of the noun, which follows the word "house."
missing "and " -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
Then he the strong man’s house.
then -- The Greek word for "then" means "at this time" or "then." With the subjective negative, the sense is "not when."
he - From the singular form of the verb translated as "spoil" below.
can -- (WW) This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense, but it could also be a subjunctive form, something that "should" or "could" happen. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
spoil - "plunder " is from another uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder." The "he" is from the The "will" is from the future tense of the verb.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
strong -- "Strong" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use that means "strong", "mighty," and "powerful." The article before it makes it act like a noun. The "man" comes from the fact it is masculine. The word "man" is not used or necessary. The possessive form comes from the case of the noun, which follows the word "house."
man's -- (CW) This is not the word usually translated as "man."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
house. The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. We might say "estate" in English to capture this idea.
missing "of his" -- (MW) The untranslated word "of his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It is possessive and follows the noun so "of his."
ἀλλ᾽ [154 verses](conj) "But" is alla, which means "insteaind," "otherwise," "but," "still," "at least," "except," "yet," nevertheless," "rather," "moreover," and "nay."
οὐ [440 verses](conj) Untranslated is ou which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
δύναται [61 verses](3rd sg pres ind mp) "Can" is the verb, dynamai, which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities," "to be able," and "to be strong enough."
οὐδεὶς [69 verses](adj sg masc nom) "No man" is oudeis which means "no one," "not one," "nothing," "naught," "good for naught," and "no matter."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
τὴν [821 verses](article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
οἰκίαν [40 times](noun sg fem acc) "House" is oikia, which means "house," "building," and "household." -- The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. We might say "estate" in English to capture this idea.
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). - missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
ἰσχυροῦ [2 verses](adj sg masc gen) "The strong man" is ischuros, which means, as an adjective, "strong," "mighty," and "powerful," "forcible," "violent," "severe," "excessive," and, as an adverb, "strongly, with all force, very much, exceedingly, from ischus, meaning "strength." - "A strong man's" is from an adjective used as a possessive noun. It means "strong," "mighty," and "violent." So it means "of a strong one" or "of a violent one."
εἰσελθὼν [68 verses](part sg aor act masc nom ) "Enter" is eiserchomai which means both "to go into," "to come in," "to enter," "to enter an office," "to enter a charge," (as in court) and "to come into one's mind." -- "Ye shall enter" is a word that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's min
τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
σκεύη [4 verses](noun pl neut acc) "Goods" is skeuos, which means a "vessel or implement of any kind," used in a collective sense, "all that belongs to a complete outfit," "house-gear," "utensils," "chattels," "accouterments," "equipment," "inanimate object," and metaphorically, "the body," as the vessel of the soul.
αὐτοῦ [253 verses](adj sg masc gen) "His" is from autos, which is the adjective used as third-person pronouns. The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
διαρπάσαι [2 verses](verb aor inf act ) "Spoil" is diarpazo, which means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder."
ἐὰν μή [30 verses](conj particle) "Except" is ean me, which literally means "when not," but it is special construction in Greek that is best translated as "except" or "unless" in English. "When" is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if) and an (might), which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event. "Not" is mê (me) is the negative used in when/if-clauses.
πρῶτον [41 verses]( adj sg masc acc ) "First" is protos. In place, this means "before," "in front," and, as a noun, "the foremost." Of time, it means "former," "earlier," and, as a noun, "the initial." In order, it means "the first." In math, it means the prime numbers. Of rank or degree, it means "superior" or, as a noun, "the highest" or "the best."
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ἰσχυρὸν [2 verses](adj sg masc acc) "The strong man" is ischuros, which means, as an adjective, "strong," "mighty," and "powerful," "forcible," "violent," "severe," "excessive," and, as an adverb, "strongly, with all force, very much, exceedingly, from ischus, meaning "strength."
δήσῃ, [10 verses](verb 3rd sg aor subj act) "Bind" is deo which means "to bind," "to keep in bonds," "to tie," "to hinder from," and "to fetter. " -- "Bind" is a verb that means "to bind," "to keep in bonds," "to tie," "to hinder from," and "to fetter. "
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
τότε [53 verses](adv) "Then" is tote, which means "at that time," "when," and "then."
τὴν [821 verses](article sg fem acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
οἰκίαν [40 times](noun sg fem acc) "House" is oikia, which means "house," "building," and "household."
αὐτοῦ [253 verses](adj sg masc gen) "His" is from autos, which is the adjective used as third-person pronouns. The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
διαρπάσει. [2 verses](verb 3rd sg aor subj act or verb 3rd sg fut ind act) "Spoil" is diarpazo, which means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder." "Spoil" is from another uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "to tear into pieces", "to efface", "to spoil," and "to plunder."
The house here is a metaphor for mind and the word "enter" used has the double meaning of "enter into mind."