The Meaning of Matthew 12:43 Explained

Matthew 12:43

KJV: When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

YLT: 'And, when the unclean spirit may go forth from the man, it doth walk through dry places seeking rest, and doth not find;

Darby: But when the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and does not find it.

ASV: But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> When  the unclean  spirit  is gone  out of  a man,  he walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest,  and  findeth  none. 

What does Matthew 12:43 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 12:38-50 - Opposing Or Doing God's Will
It was an evil and adulterous age. It had no spiritual appreciation, and was intent on getting an outward and sensible sign. Nineveh itself would have condemned it. The queen of Sheba, without the advantage attaching to the Hebrew race, appreciated Solomon; but the people of this generation had no appreciation of the Christ. They were nearing the last days of corruption and reprobation. They were a deserted palace given over to demons. Seven demons possessed them and urged them, as they did the swine in Matthew 8:31, to destruction.
But amid the general apostasy, there were faithful souls who recognized Jesus as the Son of God and drew near to hear His words. They recognized His kinship to the Father and revealed their kinship to Him. Let us not look back to Nazareth and Bethany with longing eyes. See Solomon's Song of Solomon 8:1-2. We are privileged to occupy a closer relationship than that of natural birth. See John 1:12-13; Galatians 4:1-6; Romans 8:16. O Brother Christ, make us more like thee! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 12

1  Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath,
3  by scripture,
9  by reason,
13  and by a miracle
22  He heals a man possessed that was blind and mute;
24  and confronting the absurd charge of casting out demons by Beelzebub,
32  he shows that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven
36  Account shall be made of idle words
38  He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign,
46  and shows who is his brother, sister, and mother

What do the individual words in Matthew 12:43 mean?

When now the unclean spirit is gone out from the man it passes through waterless places seeking rest and none finds [it]
Ὅταν δὲ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα ἐξέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διέρχεται δι’ ἀνύδρων τόπων ζητοῦν ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκει

δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀκάθαρτον  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἀκάθαρτος  
Sense: not cleansed, unclean.
πνεῦμα  spirit 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
ἐξέλθῃ  is  gone  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
ἀνθρώπου  man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
διέρχεται  it  passes 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διέρχομαι  
Sense: to go through, pass through.
δι’  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
ἀνύδρων  waterless 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνυδρος  
Sense: without water.
τόπων  places 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
ζητοῦν  seeking 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
ἀνάπαυσιν  rest 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀνάπαυσις  
Sense: intermission, cessation of any motion, business or labour.
οὐχ  none 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
εὑρίσκει  finds  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.