Matthew 12:44-45

12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ¹  When it returns, ²  it finds the house ³  empty, swept clean, and put in order. ⁴  12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so ⁵  the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

[12:44]  ¹ tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”

[12:44]  ² tn Grk “comes.”

[12:44]  ³ tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.

[12:44]  ⁴ sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.

[12:45]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.