11:26a
Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then indicates that the events in 11:26a follow the events in 11:25b. Use a natural way in your language to connect this sequence of events.
it goes and brings: The phrase it goes and brings indicates here that the unclean spirit goes away and then brings back seven other unclean spirits. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
the spirit finds (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the spirit goes and brings along (God’s Word)
-or-
it goes away and invites
seven other spirits more wicked than itself: This phrase indicates that there were seven other demons or unclean spirits that were more evil/wicked than the first unclean spirit.
11:26b
they go in and dwell there: The pronoun they refers to the unclean spirit plus the seven other unclean spirits. These eight unclean spirits are pictured as entering and living in the person, as people enter and live in a house. There are at least three ways to translate this metaphor:
• Keep the metaphor of the house. For example:
they enter ⌊that house⌋ and live there
• Use terms that refer directly to unclean spirits possessing a person. For example:
they take possession of the person and keep him under their control
• Use general terms that could refer to either a house or a person. For example:
They enter and take up permanent residence there. (God’s Word)
-or-
they come and live there (Good News Translation)
Use an option that is clear and natural in your language.
11:26c
And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces what happens as a result of 11:26a–b. Another way to introduce this result is:
And so (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
As a result
the final plight of that man is worse: The phrase the final plight of that man refers to the time in the man’s life when eight demons are living in him. At this later time, these unclean spirits will cause many bad things to happen to the man. Then, his situation will be much worse than before.
The phrase final plight does not refer to the man’s final destiny.
than the first: The phrase the first refers to the first condition of the man. This was the time in the man’s life when only one demon lived in him.
General Comment on 11:26a–c
Some other ways to translate 11:26c are:
In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. (God’s Word)
-or-
So the person has even more trouble than before. (New Century Version)
In some languages, it may be more natural to use future tense verbs rather than present tense in this verse. For example:
Then it will go and take…and they will go and live there. And the final condition of that man will be worse than the first.
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