“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
It’s easy to read this as simply the demon looking for a new place to live, but the "waterless places" are significant. They represent a state of desolation and spiritual barrenness, highlighting that for an evil spirit, being outside of a person is its own kind of torment, a relentless search for any kind of habitation.
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just demonstrated his power over demonic forces by casting out a demon. This parable follows immediately, illustrating what happens to a person or a generation when evil is removed but not replaced by something good, warning that such a state is temporary and potentially dangerous. The unclean spirit's search for "rest" in "waterless places" highlights its unnatural and tormented state outside of human possession, intensifying its desire to return.
Ever wonder where 'bad vibes' go when they leave a person or place? This verse paints a stark picture.
When an evil spirit is cast out, it doesn't just disappear. It wanders through 'dry places.'
Desolate Haunts
These aren't just empty spaces; they are symbolic of spiritual barrenness and desolation. Think of places shunned by life, forgotten and arid. Ancient traditions saw these as the natural habitat for malevolent forces, places devoid of God's presence and life-giving water.
The Unsettled Enemy
This wandering isn't aimless. The spirit is actively seeking rest. This implies a deep unrest and dissatisfaction when not attached to a person or place it can dominate. It's like a predator unable to find its prey, pacing restlessly in a wasteland.
Jesus describes a chilling scenario after an evil spirit leaves. What makes the situation so perilous?
The core of this passage is the danger that arises when a person is freed from one evil influence but remains spiritually vacant.
A Swept, But Not Occupied, House
The unclean spirit, unable to find rest in desolate places, decides to return. It finds its former 'house' (the person) 'empty, and swept, and garnished.' This sounds good on the surface – cleaner, tidier. However, 'empty' is the key word. It's not filled with anything new or life-giving.
Ask a follow-up
The Welcome Mat for More Evil
An unoccupied spiritual house is an invitation. The 'swept and garnished' state, while appearing improved, lacks the true occupant: God's presence and Spirit. This vacuum makes the person vulnerable, even more so than before. The evil spirit then recruits even more wicked spirits, leading to a far worse condition.
Understand the original words
akathartos pneuma · Greek Noun phrase
Refers to a spiritual being, inherently evil, opposed to the holiness of God. These spirits seek to inhabit and control human hosts, causing spiritual, emotional, or physical degradation.
anydros · Greek Adjective
Often translated as 'dry' or 'desert' places. In Scripture, these are frequently associated with wilderness areas considered to be the natural, desolate haunts of demonic entities.
This passage describes the same scenario, emphasizing that the spirit seeks 'rest' in 'desolate places' but finds none. It directly parallels Luke's account of the demon's restless search after expulsion.
Isaiah 13:21This prophetic passage describes the desolation of Babylon, stating it will become a dwelling place for wild animals and 'night creatures.' This connects to the 'dry places' being associated with the haunts of demonic or unclean spirits.
Hebrews 6:4This verse speaks to the danger of falling away after experiencing God's grace. It echoes the concept in the following verses of Luke 11, where a relapse after deliverance is worse than the initial state.
2 Peter 2:20This passage warns about those who, after escaping the world's corruption, become entangled again. It highlights the severe consequences of returning to a state of sin, mirroring the 'worse than the first' condition described in Luke's parable.
Luke 11:26This verse directly follows the one provided, detailing the demon's return with seven other spirits, making the person's last state worse than the first. It completes the narrative arc begun in verse 24, illustrating the danger of spiritual emptiness.
vincentLuke 11:24: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out."
Dry places (ἀνύδρων τόπων)Rev., more literally, waterless. The haunts of evil spirits (Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 34:14). By satyrs in these two passages are meant goblins shaped like goats, which were sacrificed to by some of the Israelites (Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15); a remnant of the Egyptian wo…
calvinLuke 11:24-26: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out."
- But when the unclean spirit hath gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44. Then he saith, I will return to my house, whence I came out; and coming, he findeth it empty, and swept, and embellished. 45. Then he goeth away, and taketh with him seven other spirits more…
It’s easy to read this as simply the demon looking for a new place to live, but the "waterless places" are significant. They represent a state of desolation and spiritual barrenness, highlighting that for an evil spirit, being outside of a person is its own kind of torment, a relentless search for any kind of habitation.
Jesus has just demonstrated his power over demonic forces by casting out a demon. This parable follows immediately, illustrating what happens to a person or a generation when evil is removed but not replaced by something good, warning that such a state is temporary and potentially dangerous. The unclean spirit's search for "rest" in "waterless places" highlights its unnatural and tormented state outside of human possession, intensifying its desire to return.
Jesus has just demonstrated his power over demonic forces by casting out a demon. This parable follows immediately, illustrating what happens to a person or a generation when evil is removed but not replaced by something good, warning that such a state is temporary and potentially dangerous. The unclean spirit's search for "rest" in "waterless places" highlights its unnatural and tormented state outside of human possession, intensifying its desire to return.
"“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’" — It’s easy to read this as simply the demon looking for a new place to live, but the "waterless places" are significant. They represent a state of desolation and spiritual barrenness, highlighting tha…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026