Section 11:24–26

Jesus warned that an unclean spirit may possess someone again

In the last section, Jesus explained that he cast out unclean spirits by the power of God. In this section, he gave a warning about people who had been delivered from an unclean spirit. He said that if they did not entrust their lives to someone else, they were in danger of being possessed by even more unclean spirits.

Another possible heading for this section is:

The return of the evil spirit (Good News Translation)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 12:43–45.

Paragraph 11:24–26

11:24a

This verse is the beginning of a new section, so you may want to say explicitly that Jesus was still speaking. For example, you could begin this verse with the words:

⌊Jesus also said⌋ ⌊to the people⌋…
-or-

⌊Jesus then told another parable. He said⌋…

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man: In this context the clause an unclean spirit comes out of a man implies that someone forces it to leave the person that it has possessed. In some languages it may be clearer to make some of this information explicit. For example:

When an unclean spirit leaves a person ⌊it has been possessing⌋
-or-
When an unclean spirit ⌊is caused to⌋ leave a person

unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as unclean spirit is another term for “demon,” so you may use the same expression in your language for both Greek terms.

This term also occurs in 9:42c. See also demon in the Glossary.

a man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man means “a person.” This could refer to a man or a woman, a boy or a girl.

11:24b

it passes through arid places: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it passes through arid places means “the unclean spirit wanders/roams around in dry/desert places.” The demon passed through these places but did not stay anywhere.

arid places: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as arid places means “places without water.” Arid places were dry places such as deserts or wilderness areas where people did not live.

11:24c

seeking rest and does not find it: The unclean spirit was looking for a place to rest from its wandering, that is, a place to stay. But it did not find a suitable place. Apparently it wanted to stay in a person whom it could control, as implied in 11:24d.

rest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rest here means “a place to rest.” It refers to a place to live or a home where the unclean spirit could stop wandering around and start to reside.

11:24d

I will return to the house I left: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as house is used here as a figure of speech. It refers to the person whom the demon had been possessing. The word house implies that what the unclean spirit was looking for was a person in whom to live. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear that this house is a person. For example:

⌊the man who was my⌋ house/home
-or-

⌊the person⌋ in whom I lived/resided

I left: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I left is literally “from where I came out.” Another way to translate this phrase is:

the house/person that I exited

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