Matthew 12:24
New International Version
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

New Living Translation
But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”

English Standard Version
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

Berean Standard Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the Pharisees having heard, said, "This man casts out the demons only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

King James Bible
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

New King James Version
Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

New American Standard Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

NASB 1995
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

NASB 1977
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

Amplified Bible
But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”

Christian Standard Bible
When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “The man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

American Standard Version
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

Contemporary English Version
When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!"

English Revised Version
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons."

Good News Translation
When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, "He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so."

International Standard Version
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Majority Standard Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”

NET Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this they said, "He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!"

New Heart English Bible
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

Webster's Bible Translation
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons.

Weymouth New Testament
The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."

World English Bible
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
But the Pharisees having heard, said, “This One does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, ruler of the demons.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the Pharisees having heard, said, "This man casts out the demons only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

Young's Literal Translation
but the Pharisees having heard, said, 'This one doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzeboul, ruler of the demons.'

Smith's Literal Translation
But the Pharisees, having heard, said, He casts not out demons, but by Beelzebub, ruler of demons.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out the devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.”

New American Bible
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”

New Revised Standard Version
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But when the Pharisees heard of it, they said, This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But the Pharisees, when they heard, they were saying, “This one does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub the prince of demons.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said: This man does not cast out the demons, unless by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.

Godbey New Testament
And the Pharisees hearing, said, This man casts not out demons, except through Beelzebul the prince of the demons.

Haweis New Testament
But the Pharisees hearing them, said, This fellow casteth not out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.

Mace New Testament
but the Pharisees upon hearing this said, he exorcizes devils, by virtue only of Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Weymouth New Testament
The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."

Worrell New Testament
But the Pharisees, hearing it, said, "This Man doth not cast out the demons, except by Beelzebub, prince of the demons."

Worsley New Testament
which the pharisees hearing, said, "He only casts out demons by the help of Beelzebub the prince of the devils."

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A House Divided
23The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.” 25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.…

Cross References
Mark 3:22
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.”

Luke 11:15
but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.”

John 7:20
“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”

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. ...

John 10:20-21
Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?” / But others replied, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Acts 4:7
They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Acts 5:28
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”

Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

Acts 13:10
and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

2 Corinthians 6:15
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Ephesians 2:2
in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

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.

Revelation 13:2
The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.


Treasury of Scripture

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

when.

Matthew 9:34
But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

Mark 3:22
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Luke 11:15
But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

Beelzebub.

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

Jump to Previous
Baal-Zebul Beelzeboul Beelzebub Beelzebul Be-El'zebul Cast Casts Demons Devils Drives Evil Except Expels Fellow Heard Hearing Pharisees Power Prince Ruler Sends Spirits
Jump to Next
Baal-Zebul Beelzeboul Beelzebub Beelzebul Be-El'zebul Cast Casts Demons Devils Drives Evil Except Expels Fellow Heard Hearing Pharisees Power Prince Ruler Sends Spirits
Matthew 12
1. Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath,
3. by scripture,
9. by reason,
13. and by a miracle.
22. He heals a man possessed that was blind and mute;
24. and confronting the absurd charge of casting out demons by Beelzebub,
32. he shows that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.
36. Account shall be made of idle words.
38. He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign,
46. and shows who is his brother, sister, and mother.














But when the Pharisees heard this
The Pharisees were a prominent religious group in Judaism during the time of Jesus. Known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions, they often found themselves in opposition to Jesus' teachings. The phrase "heard this" refers to the miraculous healing and exorcism Jesus performed, which was undeniable evidence of His divine authority. The Pharisees' reaction highlights their spiritual blindness and unwillingness to accept Jesus as the Messiah, despite witnessing His power firsthand.

they said
This phrase indicates the Pharisees' verbal response, which reveals their inner thoughts and intentions. Their words are not just a casual remark but a calculated accusation meant to undermine Jesus' authority and influence among the people. In the cultural context, spoken words held significant weight, and the Pharisees' statement was a serious charge against Jesus.

Only by Beelzebul
"Beelzebul" is a name that has its roots in ancient Semitic languages, often associated with a pagan deity. In the context of the New Testament, it is used to refer to a chief demon or Satan himself. The Pharisees' use of this name was a deliberate attempt to associate Jesus' miraculous works with demonic power, rather than acknowledging them as acts of God. This accusation reflects their deep-seated resistance to Jesus' ministry and their attempt to discredit Him in the eyes of the people.

the prince of demons
This phrase further clarifies the Pharisees' accusation, as they attribute Jesus' power to the highest authority in the demonic realm. In Jewish thought, demons were considered malevolent spiritual beings opposed to God. By calling Beelzebul the "prince of demons," the Pharisees were suggesting that Jesus was in league with the ultimate enemy of God. This accusation is not only false but blasphemous, as it attributes the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.

does this man drive out demons
The phrase "this man" is used by the Pharisees to refer to Jesus in a dismissive manner, denying His divine identity and authority. The act of driving out demons was a clear demonstration of Jesus' power over evil, a sign of the coming of God's kingdom. The Pharisees' refusal to acknowledge this truth reveals their hardened hearts and their rejection of the salvation Jesus offered. Their accusation is a stark contrast to the reality of Jesus' mission, which was to bring freedom and deliverance to those oppressed by evil.

(24) Beelzebub the prince of the devils.--(See Notes on Matthew 9:34; Matthew 10:25.) The words appear to have been whispered by the Pharisees among the people. They were not addressed to Jesus. The charge is significant as showing that the Pharisees admitted the reality of the work of healing which they had witnessed, and were driven to explain it by assuming demoniacal agency.

Verse 24. - (On the relation of this verse to Matthew 9:34, see notes there.) But when the Pharisees. Not further defined here, but in Mark 3:22 spoken of as "the scribes that had come down from Jerusalem." Heard it, they said, This fellow; man (Revised Version); οῦτος (cf. Matthew 9:3, note). Observe that οῦτος (in Matthew only) here answers to the οῦτος of ver. 23. "This man" is at once the object of hope in the minds of the multitudes, and of the deepest opposition on the part of the Pharisees. Doth not cast out devils, but. In the parallel passages there is merely a direct assertion that he does it by Beelzebub; here there is a denial of his power to do it by any other agency. Does Matthew's version express rather the process of their deliberation, and that of Mark and Luke the final result? (On the Jewish tradition that our Lord performed miracles by magic, see Matthew 2:14, note, and Lightfoot, 'Hor. Hebr.,' here.) By; in, Revised Version, margin (Matthew 9:34, note). Beelzebub (Matthew 10:25, note). The prince. Better omit the article, ἄρχοντι giving, so to speak, his official title. Of the devils.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

[the] Pharisees
Φαρισαῖοι (Pharisaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

heard this,
ἀκούσαντες (akousantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

they said,
εἶπον (eipon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

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

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.

[the] prince
ἄρχοντι (archonti)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 758: Present participle of archo; a first.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

demons,
δαιμονίων (daimoniōn)
Noun - Genitive 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.

{does} this [man]
Οὗτος (Houtos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

drive out
ἐκβάλλει (ekballei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd 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.


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