Matthew 12:29-30

12:29 How ¹  else can someone enter a strong man’s ²  house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. ³  12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, ⁴  and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ⁵ 

[12:29]  ¹ tn Grk “Or how can.”

[12:29]  ² sn The strong man here pictures Satan.

[12:29]  ³ sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.

[12:30]  ⁴ sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.

[12:30]  ⁵ sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.