SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:43
Cuando el espíritu inmundo ha salido del hombre, anda por lugares secos, buscando reposo, y no lo halla.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 12:43
Verse 43. When the unclean spirit] If there had been no reality in demoniacal possessions, our Lord would have scarcely appealed to a case of this kind here, to point out the real state of the Jewish people, and the desolation which was coming upon them. Had this been only a vulgar error, of the nonsense of which the learned scribes and the wise Pharisees must have been convinced, the case not being one in point, because not true, must have been treated by that very people with contempt for whose conviction it was alone designed. He walketh through dry places] di anudrwn topwn. There seems to be a reference here to the Orphic demonology, in which evil spirits were divided into various classes, according to the different regions of their abode, or places in which they delighted. These classes were five: 1.
daimonev ouranioi, Celestial demons. 2. daimonev herioi, Aerial. 3.
daimonev enudrioi, Aquatic. 4. daimonev cqonioi, Terrestrial. 5. kai daimonev upocqonioi, And subterranean demons. See Orph. ad Mus. ap. Schott. The Platonists, the followers of Zoroaster, and the primitive Jews, made nearly the same distinctions.
Seeking rest] Or refreshment. Strange! a fallen corrupt spirit can have no rest but in the polluted human heart: the corruption of the one is suited to the pollution of the other, and thus like cleaves to like.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 43. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man , etc.] By the unclean spirit, is meant Satan, the old serpent, the devil; who by the Jews, is wont to be called as here, abasm jwr , the unclean spirit f771 ; and that, because he is by sin become so, though he was not so originally; is the cause of uncleanness in men, and delights in unclean persons, places, and things: his going out of a man, is not to be understood of his being dispossessed of the bodies of men; nor of the ejection of him, and his going by force, through the power of divine grace, out of the souls of men; but either of his leaving the Jews for a while, in some sort, whilst Christ and the Gospel continued among them; and of his going out of the Scribes and Pharisees; not really, but putting on another form, appearing as an angel of light, and under the guise of holiness and righteousness: and so he may be said to go out of men, when any outward reformation is made in them; and they take up a profession of religion, though destitute of the grace of God: he walketh through dry places ; referring to a prevailing notion, that unclean spirits walk in, and haunt, desert and desolate places; and may have regard to the Gentiles, among whom Satan might go, seeking rest and satisfaction among them, in their idolatries and other wickedness, till he was there also disturbed by the Gospel sent among them: or by these dry places may be meant the saints, whom he takes his walks among, in order, by tempting, to distress them, being secure of pharisaical persons: and these may be so called, not for what they are in themselves; not because the sun of righteousness shines upon them: or because thirsty and desirous of divine and spiritual things; much less as if they had no moisture, since they have a well of living water in them, and are watered by the Lord; or were unfruitful, as dry places usually are; but for what they were to the unclean spirit, there being nothing in their grace, and the exercise of it, and in their spiritual performances, grateful to him; nothing to quench his thirst, and satisfy his sinful appetite; nor were there in them the mire and dirt of iniquity to roll in, as in unregenerate persons: wherefore he is represented as seeking rest, and findeth none : his view in walking in these places, or among such persons, is rest; not the rest of the saints, he seeks their disturbance, but his own rest; which is to do all the mischief he can, by stirring up corruption, tempting to sin, and discouraging the exercise of grace; but is not able to do so much mischief as he would, and so cannot find the rest he seeks for, nor satisfy his envious, spiteful, and malicious temper: and this being the case, it follows, Ver. 44. Then he said, I will return into my house , etc.] Into the land of Judea, particularly into the Scribes and Pharisees, outward professors of religion; who, notwithstanding their outward reformation, and great pretensions to holiness, are Satans house still: he has a property in them, a claim upon them; and though he says, from whence I came out , yet he never really and properly quitted it, only seemingly, and in appearance; and therefore his returning is only throwing off the guise, and reassuming his former character, as a vicious and unclean spirit. And when he is come, he findeth it empty : not empty of sin: this puts me in mind of a passage in the Misna f772 , where it is said, that on a fast day, when they stand in prayer, they cause to descend, or go before the ark, an old man, who is used (to prayer,) whose children, qyr wtybw , and his house, are empty, so that his heart is perfect in prayer, or entirely at leisure for it. The commentators on that phrase, his house is empty, note, that he was empty of sin, and free from it, and one concerning whom an evil report had not gone forth from his youth: but such was not this house; it was empty of God, of the true knowledge of him, of the fear of him, and love to him; of Christ, of faith in him, affection for him, and hope on him; of the Spirit of God, and of his graces, and of spiritual, internal religion, and powerful godliness. Swept ; not with the Spirit of grace convincing of sin, righteousness, and judgment; but with the besom of an outward reformation: and garnished ; not with internal grace, which makes saints all glorious within; but with secret lusts and corruptions, which rendered it an agreeable habitation for this unclean spirit; and at most, with some show of morality, a little negative holiness, or abstinence from outward acts of sin, an observance of some external rites and ceremonies, and a few hypocritical performances of fasting and prayer; which Satan can very well bear with, so long as the heart is empty of spiritual grace, and till an opportunity offers of throwing off all appearance of good.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 38-45 - Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires an prayers, yet those who ask amiss, ask and have not. Signs were grante to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham an Gideon; but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called her the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ's being the Messiah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale, an then came out again alive, thus Christ would be so long in the grave and then rise again. The Ninevites would shame the Jews for no repenting; the queen of Sheba, for not believing in Christ. And we have no such cares to hinder us, we come not to Christ upon suc uncertainties. This parable represents the case of the Jewish churc and nation. It is also applicable to all those who hear the word of God, and are in part reformed, but not truly converted. The unclea spirit leaves for a time, but when he returns, he finds Christ is no there to shut him out; the heart is swept by outward reformation, but garnished by preparation to comply with evil suggestions, and the ma becomes a more decided enemy of the truth. Every heart is the residenc of unclean spirits, except those which are temples of the Holy Ghost by faith in Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
οταν 3752 CONJ δε 1161 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN ακαθαρτον 169 A-NSN πνευμα 4151 N-NSN εξελθη 1831 5632 V-2AAS-3S απο 575 PREP του 3588 T-GSM ανθρωπου 444 N-GSM διερχεται 1330 5736 V-PNI-3S δι 1223 PREP ανυδρων 504 A-GPM τοπων 5117 N-GPM ζητουν 2212 5723 V-PAP-NSN αναπαυσιν 372 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ ουχ 3756 PRT-N ευρισκει 2147 5719 V-PAI-3S
