Where Did the Phrase “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand” Come From and What Does the Idiom Mean?

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Karen Hill

The phrase “A house divided against itself cannot stand” originally came from the Bible.

“Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25).

Abraham Lincoln popularized the verse in his speech accepting the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Illinois in June of 1858.

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