12:45a
Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself: This clause means that the unclean spirit goes away, finds seven other unclean spirits, and brings them back to his house. In some languages, it may be necessary to divide this long clause into several sentences. For example:
it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then he goes away ⌊and invites⌋ seven other unclean/evil spirits. These spirits are even worse than he is. He brings them with him
seven other spirits: These spirits are unclean/evil spirits like the first one. But they are even more evil.
12:45b
they go in and dwell there: The pronoun they refers to the unclean spirit plus the seven other evil spirits. These eight evil spirits are pictured as entering and living in the person like people enter and live in a house.
Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:
• Keep the metaphor of the house. For example:
they enter ⌊that house⌋ and live there
• Use terms that refer directly to evil spirits possessing a person. For example:
they all enter the person and live there (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they possess the person
• Use general terms that could refer to either a house or a person. For example:
they go in and live there (New Century Version)
12:45c
the final plight of that man is worse than the first: The word plight refers to the man’s “state of being” or his “life.” The eight demons will make this man’s life much worse than when the one demon was controlling his life.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the person has even more trouble than before (New Century Version)
-or-
the life of that person is worse than before
-or-
the sufferings/troubles of that person will surpass those of before
12:45d
So will it be with this wicked generation: This clause is the conclusion or application of what Jesus said in 12:43–44. In this clause, Jesus compared the people of this evil generation to the person who had the evil spirit. He said that the end of the lives of the people of this generation will be worse than the beginning of their lives.
The people of this evil generation had seen Jesus cast out an evil spirit. If they did not replace the evil in their lives with the Holy Spirit, they would suffer.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
It is the same way with the evil people who live today. (New Century Version)
-or-
That is like what will happen to the evil people who live today.
-or-
⌊The lives of the people of⌋ this evil generation will be like ⌊the life of⌋ the person with a demon. ⌊The end will be worse than the beginning.⌋
this wicked generation: This phrase refers to the people who lived at the same time as Jesus. Many of them were evil/bad. A similar phrase occurs in 12:39a.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
evil people who live today
-or-
bad people who are alive now
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