But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house.
Parallel translations
- KJV No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
- BSB Indeed, 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.
- NKJV No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
- NASB But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
- NLT Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
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
No one can plunder a strong man's house unless he first binds the strong man. It matters because Jesus reveals that his exorcisms mean he has overpowered Satan.
Overview
Jesus pictures himself as the stronger one who binds the 'strong man,' Satan, and then frees his captives. His deliverances are not collaboration with the devil but conquest of him. This points to the heart of his mission, the decisive defeat of Satan accomplished at the cross and resurrection, liberating those held in bondage.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Isa 49:24–26Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
- Matt 12:29Or 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.
- Luke 11:21–23“When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe.
- Eph 6:10–13Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
- Rev 20:1–3I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
- 1 Jn 4:4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Isa 53:12Therefore will I give him a portion with the great, and 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 sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
- Isa 27:1In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.
- Col 2:15having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
- 1 Jn 3:8He 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.
- Rev 12:7–9There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.
- Rom 16:20And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Isa 61:1The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound;
- John 12:31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
- Luke 10:17–20The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
- Heb 2:14Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Gen 3:15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 3:27 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.