When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure.
Parallel translations
- WEB “When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe.
- KJV When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
- NKJV When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.
- NASB When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are secure.
- NLT For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A fully armed strong man guards his house and his goods are safe. The image pictures Satan's grip until a greater power comes.
Overview
Jesus likens Satan to a strong man secure in his possessions. As long as he is unchallenged, his captives remain in his power. The brief parable prepares for the announcement that a stronger one has come.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Mark 3:27Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
- Matt 12:29Or 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.