The Meaning of Mark 3:24 Explained

Mark 3:24

KJV: And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

YLT: and if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom cannot be made to stand;

Darby: And if a kingdom has become divided against itself, that kingdom cannot subsist.

ASV: And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  if  a kingdom  be divided  against  itself,  that  kingdom  cannot  stand. 

What does Mark 3:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 3:20-35 - Brother To All Who Will
The Pharisees circulated this infamous charge-not because they believed it, but to satisfy the questions that were being asked on all sides. What they affirmed they knew to be untrue; but for selfish reasons they would not confess what they really thought. Such denial of truth is a deadly and unpardonable sin, because it injures the sensitiveness of conscience and produces moral death.
Family ties, Mark 3:31-35. The family of Jesus needed to be taught, though with the utmost delicacy, that they must not attempt to control His public ministry. All who love God and do His will are welcomed into the divine family circle and become blood relations of the Son of God.
The sower, Mark 4:1-9. Note the perils of the hearer, that you may guard against the waste of precious seed. There is a grave peril in the effect of light, fanciful, wandering thoughts. There is great peril also in a mere emotional response-the "straightway springing up" which has no root, because the heart is hard. There is danger lest the cares of the poor, the riches of the wealthy, and the too eager pursuit of things by other classes may drain away the strength of the soul, so that the Word of God shall be a slender stalk, without an ear or fruit. It is not enough to hear the Word, we must accept it and bear fruit; otherwise the plowing, sowing, and all the operations of nature are in vain. Live up to what you know. Obedience is the key to understanding. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 3

1  Jesus heals the withered hand,
10  and many other infirmities;
11  rebukes the unclean spirit;
13  chooses his twelve apostles;
22  convinces the blasphemy of casting out demons by Beelzebub;
31  and shows who are his brother, sister, and mother

Greek Commentary for Mark 3:24

And []
Note the way in which the sayings are linked by this conjunction; an impressive rhetorical progression. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 3:24 mean?

And if a kingdom against itself is divided not is able to stand the kingdom that
καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι βασιλεία ἐκείνη

βασιλεία  a  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
ἐφ’  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἑαυτὴν  itself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
μερισθῇ  is  divided 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μερίζω  
Sense: to divide.
δύναται  is  able 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
σταθῆναι  to  stand 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.
βασιλεία  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
ἐκείνη  that 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.