Texts in Conversation
The Psalms of Solomon and Jesus in Mark both use similar language of a strong man, likely based on Isaiah, to describe the power needed to overcome someone else, or to describe the inability for anyone to overcome God.
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Psalms of Solomon 5:3
Pseudepigrapha
1 O Lord God, I will joyfully praise your name among those who know your equitable judgments. 2 Because you are kind and merciful, the refuge of the destitute. When I cry out in anguish to you, do not ignore me. 3 For if no one can rob a strong man, who can take anything from all you have made, unless you give it away? 4 Because a person and their destiny are on the scales before you; no one can add anything that goes against your decisions, O God. 5 When we are persecuted, we call on you for help and you will not turn away from our prayer, because you are our God.
Date: 80-30 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Mark 3:27
New Testament
23 So he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come. 27 But no one is able to enter a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 28 I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” 30 (because they said, “He has an unclean spirit”).
Date: 60-75 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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Notes and References
"... the 'strong man' imagery may simply reflect a 'proverbial saying' about relative 'strengths' like that in Psalms of Solomon 5:3, a passage which may well have shared a common source with, or arisen from, Isaiah 49:24. Given that Satan's house is not divided against itself and that Jesus is clearly 'plundering' it, Jesus can hardly be empowered by Satan (3:22b) since he is manifestly the 'stronger one'. But is there more going on? ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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