Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12:43 clearly links to the Pharisees’ claim in Matthew 12:24. Either Jesus is returning to that issue, or Matthew himself inserts his words here because the matter is still pressing in his mind. When a spirit leaves a man, it seeks other places to occupy, to find rest. Since a demon loves death (see Matthew 8:28), it loves desolate, chaotic places, where death rules, with no human life (Isaiah 13:21,Isaiah 34:12–14; Revelation 18:2). Yet since a waterless place has no people into whom it can enter, it has no rest. It needs a person to dwell in.
There is a clear connection between what Jesus teaches in Matthew 12:43 and the claim of the Pharisees in Matthew 12:24. Either Jesus here returns once again to that issue, or the evangelist Matthew himself inserted his words here as he was writing because the matter was still pressing in his mind. When such a spirit has gone out of a man, it looks for other places to occupy, for as long as he wanders, he has no rest and must find rest. Yet there are no people in waterless places (Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 34:14; Revelation 18:2) into whom it could enter, and therefore it cannot find the desired rest. Its very nature requires it to dwell in a person.1
Demons love death (see Matthew 8:28) and therefore dwell in regions marked by chaos and desolation, where death reigns and no human life can exist (Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 34:12–14; Revelation 18:2). Yet because there are no people there in whom the unclean spirit can live and cause harm, it finds no rest.2
43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.