Luke 12:53 (DBY)

Passage

father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:51 Think ye that I have come to give peace in the earth? Nay, I say to you, but rather division:

Luke 12:52 for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided; three shall be divided against two, and two against three:

Luke 12:53 father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

Luke 12:54 And he said also to the crowds, When ye see a cloud rising out of the west, straightway ye say, A shower is coming; and so it happens.

Luke 12:55 And when [ye see] the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it happens.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "father", "against", "mother", and "daughter". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "father" and "against", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 52's "for from henceforth there shall be five..." into verse 54's "And he said also to the crowds...", so "father" and "against" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "father" and "against" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.