Modern Meaning
What Does “A house divided” Mean?
Internal conflict will destroy any group.
Biblical Origin
Where Does This Phrase Come From?
Jesus spoke these words in response to scribes who accused him of casting out demons by the power of Satan. The phrase became immortally associated with Abraham Lincoln's 1858 "House Divided" speech, but its origin is purely biblical.
The phrase appears in Mark 3:25 in the King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.
Usage Today
How Is It Used Today?
Applied to families, organizations, or nations torn by internal disagreement. "The board's infighting turned the company into a house divided."
The KJV Verse
Mark 3:25
“And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
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