Luke 12 53

Luke 12:53 kjv

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Luke 12:53 nkjv

Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Luke 12:53 niv

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Luke 12:53 esv

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Luke 12:53 nlt

'Father will be divided against son
and son against father;
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.' "

Luke 12 verses

Luke 12 53 Meaning

Luke 12:53 declares that the coming of Christ will cause profound division, specifically within the closest family relationships. This division is not a physical conflict but an ideological and spiritual separation that arises when individuals respond differently to the truth and call of Jesus Christ. His presence compels a choice, which can disrupt even the most fundamental human bonds as ultimate allegiance shifts from family to God.

Luke 12 53 Context

Luke 12:53 is part of Jesus' teaching to His disciples and the surrounding crowd about the urgency of the Kingdom of God and the necessary choices it entails. The verses immediately preceding, Luke 12:49-50, speak of Jesus bringing "fire" to the earth and a "baptism" He must undergo, foreshadowing His suffering and the purifying, transformative effect of His ministry. Luke 12:51 explicitly states that He came not to bring peace but division. This specific verse (12:53) then illustrates the deeply personal and relational consequences of this division, showing it impacting the most intimate social unit: the family. In first-century Jewish society, family loyalty and unity were paramount. Jesus' words would have been profoundly unsettling, directly challenging societal norms and requiring a shift in ultimate allegiance from clan to Christ.

Luke 12 53 Word analysis

• father against son:
  • father (Greek: patēr - πατήρ): The patriarch, head of the household. In Jewish culture, the father's authority was significant.
  • against (Greek: epi - ἐπί): Here used to denote hostility or opposition. It's a fundamental conflict of will or belief, not merely a disagreement.
  • son (Greek: hyios - υἱός): The direct male heir, crucial for continuity of the family line and traditions.
  • Significance: The breakdown of the foundational familial hierarchy. This opposition is bidirectional and inherent to the impact of Christ's truth.
• and son against father:
  • Significance: Emphasizes the reciprocal nature of the division. The conflict is not one-sided but permeates the relationship.
• mother against daughter:
  • mother (Greek: mētēr - μήτηρ): The female head of the household, traditionally nurturing and unifying.
  • daughter (Greek: thygatēr - θυγάτηρ): Young female descendant.
  • Significance: Illustrates division affecting women's relationships, which were often very close due to shared living spaces and daily tasks in that culture. The disruption is total.
• and daughter against mother:
  • Significance: Further reiterates the mutual nature of this internal familial strife, indicating no preference for one generation or gender in originating the division.
• mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law:
  • mother-in-law (Greek: penthera - πενθερά): The husband's mother. Often a dominant figure in traditional households.
  • daughter-in-law (Greek: nymphe - νύμφη): The son's wife. An outsider brought into the family unit.
  • Significance: This relationship, already prone to potential tension in traditional extended families due to integration challenges, becomes a prime example of division when Christ's message is introduced. It underscores how the gospel exposes latent divides and creates new ones based on spiritual allegiance.
• and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law:
  • Significance: Completes the cycle, confirming the reciprocal and comprehensive nature of the conflict caused by allegiance to Christ within the domestic sphere.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "father against son and son against father": This pair immediately establishes the fundamental break in patriarchal and filial bonds. It challenges the deeply ingrained reverence for ancestors and continuation of tradition that was central to Jewish identity.
• "mother against daughter and daughter against mother": This extends the division to the maternal lineage, impacting the bonds often associated with emotional support, upbringing, and the transmission of domestic practices. The very intimacy of these relationships makes the opposition all the more stark.
• "mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law": This specific pairing highlights the potential for division within the extended family unit, especially where integration of a new family member (daughter-in-law) tests the strength of family ties. It is a precise fulfillment of the prophetic words in Mic 7:6, demonstrating Jesus' intentional identification with the divine disruptive force foretold in the prophets. The enumeration of these specific relationships underscores that no family bond, no matter how cherished or foundational, will be immune to the discerning power of Christ's presence. The coming of Jesus acts as a filter, distinguishing those who genuinely embrace Him from those who reject Him, even if it means opposing those closest to them.

Luke 12 53 Bonus section

The inclusion of these three specific family pairings (father-son, mother-daughter, mother-in-law/daughter-in-law) in Luke 12:53 is a deliberate echo of the prophet Micah 7:6. By mirroring this prophetic text, Jesus not only emphasizes the profound nature of the coming spiritual division but also implicitly asserts His own authority and role in fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. The division isn't accidental or regrettable; it's a foreseen outcome of the Kingdom's arrival and the ultimate standard it sets. This type of societal upheaval and reorientation of loyalties was characteristic of the spiritual reformations and judgments in Israel's history. Thus, Jesus' coming, while bringing salvation, also functions as a crucible, testing the sincerity and depth of people's commitments and forcing a realignment of primary loyalties toward God, often at the expense of previously sacred human bonds.

Luke 12 53 Commentary

Luke 12:53 provides a stark illustration of Jesus' earlier declaration that He came not to bring peace, but division (Luke 12:51). This division is an unavoidable consequence of ultimate loyalty to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The message is challenging because it directly confronts the deeply ingrained human inclination to prioritize familial harmony above all else. Jesus' words are not an endorsement of animosity but a realistic prophecy that allegiance to Him demands a reordering of priorities. When a family member chooses to follow Christ, and another chooses not to, their divergent spiritual paths inherently create a chasm in their shared worldview and values. This is particularly sharp in societies where religious identity is deeply tied to family and community. The spiritual 'sword' (as in Matthew's parallel) slices through even the closest human ties, separating those who submit to God's will from those who cling to other allegiances. It means that while the Christian message offers peace with God, it paradoxically brings conflict with a world, or even a family, that resists its truth. The verse serves as a sober reminder of the cost of discipleship and the unyielding, penetrating nature of divine truth that demands an undivided heart.