What Does Luke 12:53 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The division is a portioning: the closest family bonds are split into opposing sides.
THE MEANING
The fracture named here runs through the bonds a household expects to hold: parent and child, then each side of a marriage. A dividing allegiance can leave people bound by family and yet set against one another.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that family bonds guarantee shared allegiance is undone here: the division reaches both parent and child, and both sides of an in-law bond.
THE ROOT
διαμερισθήσονται
diameristhēsontai
GROWS FROM
μερίζω
merizō
To divide or distribute into parts.
“divided” in this verse is diameristhēsontai. The verb carries the sense of something portioned out. The family pairs show the split cutting through relationships that ordinarily belong to one household.
ALSO GROWS
meros: part, share
μέρος
A household is divided into parts: people who remain family now stand on opposing sides.
merismos: division, distribution
μερισμός
This related noun names the division itself, making the split a concrete dividing of people into sides.
THE PATTERN
A dividing allegiance can turn the closest household bonds into opposing sides.
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:THE THREAD
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:Luke 12:51 uses διαμερισμός (diamerismos, “division”), from the same μερίζω (merizō, “divide or portion”) root as διαμερισθήσονται (diameristhēsontai, “they will be divided”) here. Verse 51 names the split; verse 53 shows it passing through parents, children, and marriages.
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