Luke - 11:19



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

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Luke 11:19.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub; by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
But if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, your sons by whom do they cast them out? For this reason they shall be your judges.
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;
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.
And if I, by Beelzebul, send out evil spirits, by whose help do your sons send them out? so let them be your judges.
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your own sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.
But, if it is by Beelzebul's help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your own sons drive them out? Therefore they will themselves be your judges.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils,.... Which is what the Pharisees charged him with; in the Greek copies, and so in the Arabic and Ethiopic versions it is read, "by Beelzebul", and so in the preceding verses; See Gill on Matthew 10:25.
By whom do your sons cast them out? by whose help? or in whose name? for the Jews pretended to cast out devils, and to heal those that were possessed with them; which they did sometimes, by making use of the names of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and sometimes of the name of Solomon: Josephus (q) speaks of many in his time, who had this power of healing; and he himself saw one Eleazar, in the presence of Vespasian, his children, officers, and soldiers, cure many that were possessed of devils: and his method was, by putting a ring to the nose of the possessed, under the seal of which, was a root directed to by Solomon, and thereby brought out the unclean spirit; and as soon as the man was healed, he adjured the devil never to return more; at which time he made mention of the name of Solomon, and rehearsed the enchantments written by him: the said Eleazar, to give a specimen of the efficacy of his art, set a cup full of water upon the ground, and commanded the devil when he went out of the man, to turn it over, as a sign that he had left the man, and the devil immediately obeyed his order: now if these sons of theirs cast out devils, which they would not say were done by the help of the devil, or in his name, why should they ascribe the ejection of devils by Christ, to a diabolical assistance?
therefore shall they be your judges; or "judges against you", as the Arabic version; or "shall reprove you", as the Ethiopic; convict and condemn you; See Gill on Matthew 12:27.
(q) Antiqu. Jude. l. 8. c. 2.

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