Translation commentary on Luke 11:18

Exegesis:

ei de kai ho Satanas eph’ heauton diemeristhē ‘and if Satan also is divided against himself.’ ei de kai implies that the general principle expressed in v. 17 may also apply to the realm of Satan. ho Satanas stands for ‘the kingdom of Satan’ as the rest of v. 18 shows.

pōs stathēsetai hē basileia autou ‘how will his kingdom stand firm?’ The clause implies a negative answer to the question.

hoti legete… ‘for you say…,’ and what they say implies that Satan is divided against himself. The clause introduced by hoti is only implicitly an explanatory clause.

Translation:

Satan … is divided against himself, or, ‘Satan is fighting against himself,’ ‘Satan fights Satan,’ ‘Satan’s subjects/followers/henchmen fight among themselves.’ The rendering should parallel v. 17. For Satan see on 10.18.

How will his kingdom stand, or, ‘hold out,’ ‘last,’ ‘continue to exist,’ ‘exist any longer’; or, if one has to shift from the noun to a verb, ‘how will he remain (or, go on) reigning?,’ ‘he certainly cannot rule any longer.’

For you say that I …, or, “—since, as you would have it, I…” (New English Bible), reminding Jesus’ interlocutors of their accusation (v. 15), which has been shown to be incompatible with facts everybody can know. This reminder, introduced by ‘for,’ states the reason for things not explicitly expressed in vv. 17f; hence some versions use a dash or dots (New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem), others make the reason explicit, cf. e.g. ‘I spoke thus because you say that…’ (Kele, similarly Tzeltal, The Four Gospels – a New Translation), or shift to ‘but/yet you say…’ (Balinese, Sinhala).

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:18

11:18

The examples of a kingdom and a family that Jesus used in 11:17 also apply to Satan and his unclean spirits. In Greek, 11:18 is literally “If Satan also is divided.” Many English versions include the word “also.” To make this meaning clear, it may be necessary in some languages to begin 11:18 as follows:

It is the same also with Satan.
-or-
In the same way…

In some languages it may be clearer to reorder 11:18a–c. See the General Comment on 11:18a–c at the end of the note on 11:18c for an example.

11:18a

If Satan is divided against himself: The word Satan here is a figurative reference to Satan’s kingdom. It refers to the demons over which he rules. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this figurative meaning clear. For example:

If Satan’s ⌊kingdom⌋ is divided against/within itself
-or-
If Satan’s ⌊followers⌋ are divided against themselves
-or-
If Satan fights against his fellow demons

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the chief/leader of all the unclean spirits. In Hebrew his name means “enemy.” He is the enemy of God and God’s people.

Here are some ways to translate Satan:

• Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons.

• Use a descriptive phrase such as:

the chief/leader of the unclean spirits
-or-
the spirit enemy of God

• Transliterate the name Satan. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:

Satanas, the ruler of demons
-or-
Shaitan

The word Satan also occurs in 10:18a–b.

11:18b

how can his kingdom stand?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that Satan’s kingdom will certainly not stand.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

how can his kingdom stand? ⌊It certainly cannot!⌋

• As a statement. For example:

his kingdom will certainly not stand
-or-
his kingdom will not continue (New Century Version)

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

his kingdom: The phrase his kingdom here refers to “Satan’s rule” or “his power/authority.”

In the Greek language, the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “stand” goes together with words such as “kingdom” and “government.” This is a figure of speech that means “continues to exist.” You should use whichever verb in your language naturally goes together with kingdom. Some other examples in English are:

how can his kingdom survive (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
how can it last (Good News Translation)
-or-
he wouldn’t be able to continue ruling (Translator’s Reference Translation)

11:18c

After all: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as After all is literally “because” or “for.” Most English versions translate it that way. The New International Version and several other English versions also supply the words “I say this” before “because.” They supply these words to help indicate that 11:18c is the reason why Jesus said what he did in 11:17b–18b.

you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul: Jesus was referring to what the people said in 11:15, that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul.

demons: This is the same word as in 11:15c.

Beelzebul: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible transliterates as Beelzebul is again Beelzebul, as in 11:15b. You should use the same name as you did there.

General Comment on 11:18a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder 11:18a–c. For example:

18cYou say I am empowered by the prince of demons. But 18aif Satan is fighting against himself 18cby empowering me to cast out his demons, 18bhow can his kingdom survive? (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-

18cYou say that it is Satan ⌊the prince of demons⌋ who gives me ⌊the power⌋ to drive out demons. 18aSo, if ⌊this is true, it means that⌋ Satan is fighting against himself! 18b⌊Therefore,⌋ will his rule continue? ⌊It certainly will not!⌋

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