Matthew 12:29 · Bible study
Matthew 12:29 Commentary: Binding the Strong Man's House
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus explains his authority over demons: he must first bind Satan (the strong man) to plunder his house, proving his messianic victory.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus must overpower Satan to rescue people from his domain.
- Key words: bind (deō), plunder (harpazō/diarpazō), strong man (ischuros).
- Main debate: Minimal, all agree the strong man is Satan and binding is necessary for liberation.
- Theological theme: Christus Victor, Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil.
- Best use: Apologetic defense of Jesus’s divine authority and comfort for believers in spiritual warfare.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
KJV King James Version 1769
Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Or how is one able to go into the house of the strong man, and to plunder his goods, if first he may not bind the strong man? and then his house he will plunder.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong [man] and plunder his goods, unless first he bind the strong [man]? and then he will plunder his house.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his goods, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his house.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque, ¿ cómo puede alguno entrar en la casa del valiente, y saquear sus alhajas, si primero no prendiere al valiente? y entonces saqueará su casa.
Ou como pode alguém entrar na casa do valente, e saquear seus bens, sem primeiro amarrar ao valente? Depois disso saqueará sua casa.
Ou, comment quelqu’ un peut-il entrer dans la maison d’ un homme fort et piller ses biens, sans avoir auparavant lié cet homme fort? Alors seulement il pillera sa maison.
Oder wie kann jemand in eines Starken Haus gehen und ihm seinen Hausrat rauben, es sei denn, daß er zuvor den Starken binde und alsdann ihm sein Haus beraube?
Of hoe kan iemand in het huis eens sterken inkomen, en zijn vaten ontroven, tenzij dat hij eerst den sterke gebonden hebbe? en alsdan zal hij zijn huis beroven.
Ovvero, come può uno entrar nella casa dell’uomo forte e rapirgli le sue masserizie, se prima non abbia legato l’uomo forte? Allora soltanto gli prederà la casa.
Albo jakoż może kto wnijść do domu mocarza, i sprzęt jego rozchwycić, jeźliby pierwej nie związał mocarza onego? toż dopiero dom jego rozchwyci.
Или, как может кто войти в дом сильного и расхитить вещи его, если прежде не свяжет сильного? и тогда расхитит дом его.
人 怎 能 進 壯士 家 裡， 搶奪 他的 家具呢？除非 先 捆住 那壯士， 才可以 搶奪 他的 家財。
Or how may one go into a strong man's house and take his goods, if he does not first put cords round the strong man? and then he may take his goods.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 12:29
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the strong man in this verse is Satan. Vincent notes that the definite article in Greek (tou ischurou) points to a specific enemy, not a general illustration. Jesus is the stronger one who binds him, an act that must happen before plundering can begin. Gill describes a detailed allegory: the house is the world or individual souls, the goods are the people held captive by sin and demons. Calvin sees the verse as a direct confirmation that the Kingdom of God has arrived: Satan must be violently driven out for God to reign. Wesley summarizes it simply: Christ came into the world (Satan’s house), first bound him, then took his spoils. All agree this verse undercuts the Pharisees’ charge that Jesus works by Beelzebul. It shows that Jesus’s exorcisms are not collusion but conquest. The unified reading calls readers to see Jesus as the divine conqueror who has already won the decisive battle.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus is asserting that his exorcisms prove he is the stronger one who has bound Satan, enabling the rescue of those held captive.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the strong man | All consulted sources identify the strong man as Satan (Barnes, Gill, Calvin, Vincent, Wesley). | No significant divergence among the commentaries referenced. |
| Necessity of binding | All agree that the binding must occur before plundering; this is a logical and spiritual necessity. | No debate; the structure of the parable is clear. |
| Outcome of the binding | The plundering represents the liberation of people from demonic possession and sin (Gill, Calvin, Wesley). | No significant divergence among the commentaries referenced. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within a sharp confrontation. Jesus has just healed a blind and mute man possessed by a demon (Matthew 12:22). The crowd wonders if he is the Messiah. The Pharisees, threatened by his growing influence, accuse him of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons (v.24). Jesus first replies with a logical argument: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He then shifts to an image his hearers would understand. In the ancient world, a strong man’s house was a symbol of secure dominion. Anyone wanting to take his goods had first to overpower him, a common sense observation. But Jesus applies it to the spiritual realm. The strong man is Satan; his house is the domain of sin and darkness. By casting out demons, Jesus shows he has already broken into that house and bound its owner. Jewish expectation included a future binding of Satan (Isaiah 49:24; 53:12; see also Revelation 20:1-3). Jesus claims that in his own ministry this binding is already happening. The Pharisees’ own tradition included exorcists, “your children” (v.27), so their charge is inconsistent. By appealing to the Spirit of God (v.28), Jesus declares that the Kingdom of God has arrived in power. The house imagery makes the point visceral: the deliverance of demoniacs is not a trick but the firstfruits of a cosmic rescue operation.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 12:29. The verse is consistent across major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
Since the Reformation, this verse has been central to understanding Christ’s victory over Satan. Calvin (1564) used it to argue that Satan must be violently expelled for God’s kingdom to come. Wesley (1754) applied it directly to Christ’s incarnation as the first binding of the strong man. Gill (1748) and Matthew Henry (1710) allegorized the strong man’s house as the human soul enslaved by sin, with the plundering representing conversion. In modern theology, the verse underpins the Christus Victor model of the atonement. It is also linked to the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:1-3, though the present verse emphasizes the now of Christ’s victory rather than a future thousand-year reign.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Strong Man, Satan is powerful, holding people in bondage (physically and spiritually). The Pharisees denied this, but Jesus affirms it.
- The Binding, Christ, the stronger one, first neutralizes Satan. This happened supremely at the cross and resurrection (Colossians 2:15).
- The Plundering, Once Satan is bound, Jesus frees his captives. Each exorcism, each conversion, is part of the spoils of victory.
Five-point outline
- Context, The Beelzebul accusation forces a showdown about Jesus’s true identity.
- The Parable, The strong man’s house is a picture of Satan’s rule over the world.
- The Implication, If Jesus binds Satan, he is the Messiah, not a collaborator.
- The Application, Believers now share in Christ’s victory; they can resist the enemy.
- The Hope, The ultimate plundering awaits the consummation (Revelation 20).
Illustration hooks
- A hostage rescue: the SWAT team must first subdue the captor before freeing the hostages. Jesus does exactly that for those enslaved by sin and evil.
- A locked house with a dangerous occupant: a stronger person breaks in, ties up the occupant, then removes all valuables. This is what Jesus does to Satan’s domain.
- A schoolyard bully who terrorizes until a stronger student arrives. The bully is pinned down, and the victims are set free.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If Satan is already bound, why is there still so much evil?”, The binding is decisive but not yet final; the enemy is on a leash.
- “How do I experience this victory in my own struggles with sin?”, Through faith in Christ’s finished work, not by trying harder.
- “Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus so much for doing good?”, They refused to surrender their control, so they slandered the one who threatened it.
Leading a Discussion
This verse is Jesus’s response to a terrible accusation. It reveals that his ministry is a rescue mission: he came to overpower the enemy and set people free. As you discuss, keep the focus on who Jesus is and what he has done.
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 12:22-29. What do the crowd and the Pharisees each think about Jesus’s healing? How do their reactions differ?
- Why does Jesus use the image of a strong man’s house? What does it tell you about the nature of Satan’s power?
- What does “first bind the strong man” mean in this context? How does Jesus actually do this?
- Compare this verse with Mark 3:27 and Luke 11:21-22. What do the parallel accounts add to the picture?
- How does this parable refute the Pharisees’ charge that Jesus works by Beelzebul?
- If Jesus has bound Satan, what difference does that make for your daily life? Where do you still feel “plundered” by the enemy?
- How can we live as people who have been “plundered” from the strong man’s house? What gratitude and boldness should mark us?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 49:24 | Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered? |
| Isaiah 53:12 | Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. |
| Mark 3:27 | But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house. |
| Luke 11:21 | “When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. |
| Luke 11:22 | But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his plunder. |
| I John 3:8 | He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. |
| I John 4:4 | You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. |
| Revelation of John 12:7 | There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that people become the very house and dwelling place of Satan by willingly surrendering to sin. Only Jesus can break that bondage, casting Satan out and then purifying the heart to make it His own dwelling. The deliverance is entirely Christ's work.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes homes in on the logical trap: if Satan empowers Jesus to drive out demons, then Satan is fighting himself and his kingdom cannot stand. He also notes that Jesus turns the charge back on the Pharisees, since their own disciples also cast out demons, forcing them to either abandon their argument or condemn their own followers.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that Satan holds humanity in willing slavery, bound by chains people themselves cherish. No amount of human effort can break this grip; only a force stronger than the devil can strip him of his armor and establish God's kingdom. Christ's healings of the body foreshadow the greater deliverance He brings to the soul.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator emphasizes that Satan is not merely a neutral or opposing force but a defeated foe. His point is double: Christians must not mistake the devil for an ally, nor should they fear him as an unbeaten enemy. Victory over him is already accomplished.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses the logical necessity: before anyone can plunder a strong man's house, the strong man himself must be bound. This means Christ had to first overcome Satan's power before He could rescue souls from his grip. Without that binding, no deliverance is possible.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the very idea of Satan helping Christ drive out demons is absurd; no strong man would help someone plunder his own house. Instead, Christ must first bind Satan, the strong man, and then he can spoil his house. Christ's power over demons is therefore a clear sign that he is stronger than the devil.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that before anyone can plunder a strong man's house, the strong man himself must first be bound. The point is that Christ's power to cast out demons demonstrates His prior victory over Satan, the strong man, whom He has already subdued.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the unpardonable sin is not a mere slip of the tongue but a deliberate, malicious assault on the Spirit's work, attributing it to Satan. He distinguishes this settled hatred from sins against the Son of Man, which remain forgivable because they stem from ignorance or weakness.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent stresses that Jesus is not giving a general parable about a strong man; the definite article points to a specific enemy, Satan. The word translated as goods means the entire equipment of a household, not just vessels.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley treats the world at Christ's coming as Satan's house, fully under the strong one's power. Christ's