Matthew 12:25-26

12:25 Now when Jesus ¹  realized what they were thinking, he said to them, ²  “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, ³  and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if ⁴  Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Matthew 27:35

27:35 When ⁵  they had crucified ⁶  him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. ⁷ 

Matthew 25:15

25:15 To ⁸  one he gave five talents, ⁹  to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

Matthew 25:32

25:32 All ¹⁰  the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

[12:25]  ¹ tc The majority of mss read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsous, “Jesus”), which clarifies who is the subject of the sentence. Although the shorter text is attested in far fewer witnesses (̲¹ א B D 892* sy^s,c sa bo), both the pedigree of the mss and the strong internal evidence (viz., scribes were not prone to intentionally delete the name of Jesus) argue for the omission of Jesus’ name. The name has been included in the translation, however, for clarity.

[12:25]  ² sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).

[12:25]  ³ tn Or “is left in ruins.”

[12:26]  ⁴ tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.

[27:35]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:35]  ⁸ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

[27:35]  ⁹ tn Grk “by throwing the lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throwing dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate.

[25:15]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:15]  ¹¹ sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.

[25:32]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.