Luke 11:19
New International Version
Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

New Living Translation
And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.

English Standard Version
And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Berean Standard Bible
And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

Berean Literal Bible
And if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? On account of this, they will be your judges.

King James Bible
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

New King James Version
And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

New American Standard Bible
Yet if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.

NASB 1995
“And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.

NASB 1977
“And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.

Amplified Bible
Now if I drive out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons [the Jewish exorcists] drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

Christian Standard Bible
And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.

American Standard Version
And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

Contemporary English Version
If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? They are the ones who will judge you.

English Revised Version
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I force demons out with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? That's why they will be your judges.

Good News Translation
If this is how I drive them out, how do your followers drive them out? Your own followers prove that you are wrong!

International Standard Version
If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

Majority Standard Bible
And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

NET Bible
Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

New Heart English Bible
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore will they be your judges.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

Weymouth New Testament
And if it is by the power of Baal-zebul that I expel the demons, by whom do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

World English Bible
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
but if I, by Beelzebul, cast forth the demons—your sons, by whom do they cast forth? Because of this they will be your judges;

Berean Literal Bible
And if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? On account of this, they will be your judges.

Young's Literal Translation
'But if I by Beelzeboul cast forth the demons -- your sons, by whom do they cast forth? because of this your judges they shall be;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast, out? for this shall they be your judges.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub; by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your own sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

New American Bible
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

New Revised Standard Version
Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If I cast out devils through Beelzebub, by what do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And if I am exorcising devils by Beelzebub, by whom are your children exorcising? Because of this they will be your judges.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

Godbey New Testament
But if I through Beelzebul cast out the demons, through whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges:

Haweis New Testament
But if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

Mace New Testament
for you assert, that I cast out demons by Beelzebub, but if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? wherefore they shall be your judges.

Weymouth New Testament
And if it is by the power of Baal-zebul that I expel the demons, by whom do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.

Worrell New Testament
But, if I, by Beelzebub, cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

Worsley New Testament
And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your own people cast them out? wherefore they shall be your judges.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A House Divided
18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.…

Cross References
Matthew 12:27
And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

Mark 3:22-26
And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” / So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? / If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. ...

John 8:48-52
The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?” / “I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. / I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge. ...

Acts 19:13-16
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” / Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. / But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” ...

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. / It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Exodus 7:11-12
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. / Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

Exodus 8:18-19
The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. / “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. / For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

1 Samuel 28:7-9
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied. / So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.” / But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”

1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ...

2 Kings 1:2-4
Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.” / But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ / Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” So Elijah departed.

2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.

Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?


Treasury of Scripture

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

by.

Luke 9:49
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

Matthew 12:27,28
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges…

shall.

Luke 11:31,32
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here…

Luke 19:22
And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Job 15:6
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

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Luke 11
1. Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11. assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him.
14. He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27. and shows who are blessed;
29. preaches to the people;
37. and reprimands the outward show of holiness.














And if I drive out demons
The phrase "drive out demons" refers to the act of exorcism, a significant aspect of Jesus' ministry. The Greek word for "drive out" is "ekballō," which means to expel or cast out with authority. This action demonstrates Jesus' divine authority over evil spirits, affirming His identity as the Son of God. In the historical context, exorcism was a recognized practice among Jewish leaders, but Jesus' method and authority were unparalleled, emphasizing His divine mission.

by Beelzebul
"Beelzebul" is a name associated with a Philistine god, later used in Jewish texts to refer to the prince of demons or Satan. The accusation that Jesus performed miracles by the power of Beelzebul was a serious charge, reflecting the religious leaders' refusal to acknowledge His divine authority. This highlights the spiritual blindness and hardness of heart among those who opposed Jesus, despite witnessing His miraculous works.

by whom do your sons drive them out?
Here, "your sons" likely refers to the Jewish exorcists or disciples of the Pharisees who also practiced exorcism. Jesus challenges His accusers by pointing out the inconsistency in their logic. If their own followers perform exorcisms, by what power do they do so? This rhetorical question exposes the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and underscores the legitimacy of Jesus' divine authority.

So then, they will be your judges
The phrase "they will be your judges" suggests that the actions and successes of the Jewish exorcists will stand as a testimony against the Pharisees' accusations. In a broader sense, it implies that the truth of Jesus' divine power and authority will ultimately be vindicated, and those who reject Him will face judgment. This serves as a warning to the religious leaders and a call to recognize the truth of Jesus' identity and mission.

Verse 19. - By whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But he goes further in his skillful line of argument. "I am not the only one," said Jesus, "who claims to cast out devils. There are those in the midst of you, your sons, who make a similar assertion. Have they too entered into a league with this evil angel?" A question has been raised respecting these professed exorcists of evil spirits whom Jesus here styles "your sons." Who were they? Some, notably the older patristic expositors, have supposed that our Lord here alluded to his own apostles, to whom a measure of this power over unclean spirits was certainly given. Others, that they are identical with the "pupils of the wise," disciples of the great rabbinical schools, such as were presided over by the famous doctors of the Talmud. This is quite possible; but we have no proof that professional exorcists were pupils in any of the known rabbinical schools. It is more likely that by this general term Jesus alluded to the exorcists. These were, at this period of Jewish history, numerous. They are alluded to in Acts 19:13; by Josephus ('Ant.,' 8:02, 5); mention of them is also specially made in the Talmud, which even describes something of their mode of procedure. Our Lord seems to affirm in some cases, to a certain extent, the efficacy of the power of these exorcists. "These, Jews like yourselves," argued Jesus, "some of them, you know, belonging to your own Pharisee sect, - these have in certain cases apparently driven out the evil spirit of insanity: you do not accuse them, do you, of working with an evil angel?" Godet, in the next seven verses, has suggested a new line of interpretation, which, while generally preserving the traditional exposition of the various details, supplies the connecting thought between ver. 23 ("He that is not with me is against me," etc.) and the verses which precede and follow. This, apparently, has never been done satisfactorily by any commentator. Indeed, some, e.g. De Wette and Bleek, are frank enough to confess that they abandon the attempt. In these seven verses Jesus draws two pictures, in which he contrasts one of those expulsions of evil spirits which he works with that of a cure worked by an exorcist.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

if
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

drive out
ἐκβάλλω (ekballō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1544: To throw (cast, put) out; I banish; I bring forth, produce. From ek and ballo; to eject.

demons
δαιμόνια (daimonia)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1140: An evil-spirit, demon; a heathen deity. Neuter of a derivative of daimon; a d?Monic being; by extension a deity.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

Beelzebul,
Βεελζεβοὺλ (Beelzeboul)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 954: Beelzebul, a name of Satan, the chief of evil spirits. Of Chaldee origin; dung-god; Beelzebul, a name of Satan.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

whom
τίνι (tini)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

{do} your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

sons
υἱοὶ (huioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

drive [them] out?
ἐκβάλλουσιν (ekballousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1544: To throw (cast, put) out; I banish; I bring forth, produce. From ek and ballo; to eject.

So then,
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

they
αὐτοὶ (autoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

will be
ἔσονται (esontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

judges.
κριταὶ (kritai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2923: A judge, magistrate, ruler. From krino; a judge.


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Luke 11:18
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