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

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.