And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Parallel translations
- WEB If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
- BSB And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
- NKJV And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
- NASB And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus asks by whose power their own followers cast out demons, turning their accusation back on them.
Overview
If Jewish exorcists were assumed to work by God's power, the same charge against Jesus is inconsistent. Their own practice condemns their slander of him. The point exposes the prejudice behind their accusation rather than any honest reasoning.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Mark 9:38–39And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
- Acts 19:13–16Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
- Luke 9:49–50And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
- Rom 3:19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
- Luke 11:19And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
- Matt 12:41–42The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
- Luke 19:22And 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:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 12:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.