Parable of the Strong Man


The Parable of the strong man is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in,, and.

Text

In Luke chapter 11, the parable is as follows:

Interpretation

In the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this parable forms part of the Beelzebul controversy, where Jesus's opponents accuse him of gaining his power to exorcise demons by being in league with Satan. Interpreted in this context, the strong man represents Satan, and the attacker represents Jesus. Jesus thus says that he could not perform exorcisms unless he was opposed to – and had defeated – Satan. Craig S. Keener suggests that the parable relates to the common wisdom that "no one plunders a strong man," while R. T. France and others see the parable as echoing the Book of Isaiah:

Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives rescued from the fierce?
But this is what the LORD says:
"Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.

It has been suggested that "Beelzebul" means "house of Ba'al", and that the image of the strong man's house was originally a wordplay on this.
In the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, which does not have the context of the Beelzebul controversy, the parable has been interpreted as merely suggesting that "shrewd planning and careful strategy" are necessary in order to accomplish one's goals.