Why the added 'rise up' in Mark 3:26

Question

Mark 3:24-26 says:

And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end (KJV)

Jesus seems to make comparisons, that nothing that is divided against itself can stand. Not a kingdom, not a house, not Satan. Why did Jesus add the 'rising up against himself' in the case of Satan? Is that because Satan is only one 'person' versus kingdoms (and households) consisting of multiple persons, who can be divided against one another?

Answer 1

The first phrase in the Greek is of Mark 3:26 is:

καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη ... = "and if Satan rose up against himself ..."

The highlighted verb is ἀνίστημι (anistemi) = to stand up, or rise up. This word is used in a variety of ways - BDAG lists 11 basic meanings of which #9 is relevant here:

9. to come/appear to carry out a function or role, rise up, arise, (intransitively) eg, Acts 7:18, Heb 7:11, 15, Matt 12:41, Luke 11:32, Mark 14:57, Luke 10:25, Acts 6:9, Mark 3:26, etc.

Allow me to list a few of these to illustrate this meaning:

• Acts 6:9 - But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen,
• Acts 7:18 - until there arose another king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
• Heb 7:11 - Then indeed, if perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for upon it the people had received the Law) what need was there still for another priest to arise, according to the order of Melchizedek, and not to be named according to the order of Aaron? [See also V15.]
• Matt 12:41 - The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it. For they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. [See also Luke 11:32.]
• Mark 14:57 - And some having risen up, were bearing false testimony against Him, saying ...

Thus, in Mark 3:26, Jesus is saying that if Satan stands up or arises against Satan, the Satan is opposed to Satan and become self defeating. Thus, Jesus effectively and decisively proves that the Pharisees' accusation that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan is self defeating and so cannot be true.

Answer 2

Let's see the parallelism in Mark 3:

23b How can Satan cast out Satan?   
24 And if a kingdom be   divided against itself,                    that kingdom cannot stand.   
25 And if a house be     divided against itself,                    that house cannot stand.   
26 And if Satan          rise up against himself, and be divided,   he cannot stand, but hath an end.

In the case of Satan, he is singularly in charge of his minions. Note the "rise up" and "cannot stand" applies only to Satan. The point is self-destruction and self-contradiction. He cannot rise up against himself and stand at the same time. This imagery applies only to Satan as a person. It does not literally apply to a kingdom or to a house.

Satan is only one 'person' versus kingdoms (and households) consisting of multiple persons, who can be divided against one another?

Right. This imagery reinforces Jesus' point of self-destruction and self-contradiction on Satan.