Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 12:44

"Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished." — Matthew 12:44 (ASV)

Empty, swept, and garnished — These words have a twofold symbolism, representing:

1. The state of the possessed man.
2. The state of the nation for which he is a type.

The second point belongs to the interpretation of the parable as a whole. The first point portrays the state of a man who has been delivered from the wildness of frenzy but has been left to the routine of common life and conventional morality, with no higher spiritual influence to protect and guard him.