Luke 11:15

11:15 Satan: Greek Beelzeboul (“Baal, the prince”), the name of a Canaanite god that later came to be used as a name for Satan. The Jews mocked the name, calling him Beelzebub (“lord of the flies”).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 11:15. Τινὲς, some) Their objection is met in Luk 11:17-18. [They were not able to deny some agency being at work superior to nature.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An example of horrible blindness, and such as cannot be healed, when as upon an evil conscience, and pretended malice, the power of God is blasphemed.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

15. some of the?n said] We learn from St Matthew (Mat_12:24) that this notable suggestion emanated from “the Pharisees” and, as St Mark (Luk_3:20) adds, from “the scribes which came from Jerusalem,” i.e. the spies who had been expressly sent down by the ruling hierarchs to dog the footsteps of Jesus, and counteract His influence. The explanation was too ingeniously wicked and cleverly plausible to come from the more unsophisticated Pharisees of Galilee.

Beelzebub] The name and reading are involved in obscurity. In 2Ki_1:3 we are told that Beelzebub was god of Ekron; and the LXX. and Josephus (Antt. ix. 2,§ 1) understood the name to mean ‘lord of flies.’ He may have been a god worshipped to avert the plagues of flies on the low sea-coast like Zeus Apomuios (Averter of flies) and Apollo Ipuktonos (Slayer of vermin). But others interpret the name to mean ‘lord of dung,’ and regard it as one of the insulting nicknames which the Jews from a literal rendering of Exo_23:13 felt bound to apply to heathen deities. In this place perhaps Beelzebub is the true reading, and that means ‘lord of the (celestial) habitation,’ i.e. prince of the air, Eph_2:3. Possibly the οἰκοδεσπότης of Mat_10:25 is an allusion to this meaning. In any case the charge was the same as that in the Talmud that Jesus wrought His miracles (which the Jews did not pretend to deny) by magic.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And others tempting him,.... Others of the Scribes and Pharisees, or Sadducees:

sought of him a sign from heaven; See Gill on Mat 12:38, Mat 16:1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 15. See Mat 9:34; Mat 12:24.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See Poole on "Mat 9:34". See Poole on "Mat 12:24", and following verses to Mat 12:30. See Poole on "Mar 3:22", and following verses to Mar 3:27.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. The accusation seems to have been whispered among the people by the Pharisee emissaries from the capital; the words of the charge were evidently not addressed to Jesus. These men could not deny the reality of the work of healing, so they tried to suggest that the great Healer had dealings with some great evil angel, whom they call, from some old Jewish tradition, Beelzebub. In 2Ki_1:3 we read that this idol-deity was the god of Ekron. The name signifies "lord of flies." He was very likely worshipped in the low-lying cities of the sea-coast of Philistia as a god who would be likely to avert the plague of flies and insects which infested that locality. So Zeus was adored as Apomuios (the averter of flies), and Apollo as Ipuktonos (the slayer of vermin).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But some said, He casteth out devils by Beelzebub - These he answers, ver. 17. Others, to try whether it were so or no, sought a sign from heaven. These he reproves in ver. 29 and following verses. Beelzebub signifies the Lord of flies, a title which the heathens gave to Jupiter, whom they accounted the chief of their gods, and yet supposed him to be employed in driving away flies from their temple and sacrifices. The Philistines worshipped a deity under this name, as the God of Ekron: from hence the Jews took the name, and applied it to the chief of the devils. Mark iii, 22.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

15. τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶπον. We learn from St Matthew (Mat 12:24) that this notable suggestion emanated from “the Pharisees” and, as St Mark (Mar 3:20) adds, from “the scribes which came from Jerusalem,” i.e. the spies who had been expressly sent down by the ruling hierarchs to dog the footsteps of Jesus, and counteract His influence. The explanation was too ingeniously wicked and cleverly plausible to come from the more unsophisticated Pharisees of Galilee.

βεελζεβούλ. The name and reading are involved in obscurity. In 2Ki 1:3 we are told that Beelzebub was god of Ekron; and the LXX[243] and Josephus (Antt. IX. 2, § 1) understood the name to mean ‘lord of flies.’ He may have been a god worshipped to avert the plagues of flies on the low sea-coast like Zeus Ἀπόμυιος (Averter of flies) and Apollo Ἰπυκτόνος (Slayer of vermin). But others interpret the name to mean ‘lord of dung,’ and regard it as one of the insulting nicknames which the Jews from a literal rendering of Exo 23:13 felt bound to apply to heathen deities. In this place perhaps Beelzebub is the true reading, and that means ‘lord of the (celestial) habitation,’ i.e. prince of the air, Eph 2:3. Possibly the οἰκοδεσπότης of Mat 10:25 is an allusion to this meaning. In any case the charge was the same as that in the Talmud that Jesus wrought His miracles (which the Jews did not pretend to deny) by magic.

[243] LXX. Septuagint.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. τινὲς ἐξ αὐτ.] No inference can here be drawn that these persons were not Pharisees (as Greswell has done), and consequently that the charge proceeded from a different quarter.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶπαν. This is very vague. Mt. says οἱ φαρισαῖοι, and Mk. still more definitely of οἱ γραμματεῖς ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων καταβάντες. They had probably come on purpose to watch Him and oppose Him. It was at Jerusalem about this time that they had said, “Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil,” and, “He hath a devil, and is mad” (Joh 8:48, Joh 10:20).

Ἐν βεεζεβούλ. “In the power of B.” The orthography, etymology, and application of the name are uncertain. Here, vv. 18, 19; Mat 10:25, Mat 10:12:24, Mat 10:27, A.aleph; B have Βεεζεβούλ, and B has this Mar 3:22. The word occurs nowhere else in N.T. and nowhere all in O.T. With the form Βεελζεβούλ Comp. βάαλ μυῖαν (2Ki 1:2, 2Ki 1:3, 2Ki 1:6) and Μυῖαν (Jos Ant. ix. 2, 1) for Beelzebub= “Lord of flies.” But Βεελζεβούλ, is found in no Greek MS. of N.T., and the form Beelzebub owes its prevalence to the Vulgate; but even there some MSS. have beelzebul. With the termination βουβ the connexion with the Ekronite god of flies must be abandoned. Βεελζεβούλ may mean either, “Lord of the dwelling,” i.e. of the heavenly habitation, or, “Lord of idols,” i.e. of idolatrous abomination. “Lord of idols,” “Prince of false gods,” comes close to “Prince of the demons.” D. B.2 art. “Beelzebub.” It is uncertain whether the Jews identified Beelzebub with Satan, or believed him to be a subordinate evil power. Unless 13:32 refers to later instances, Lk. mentions no more instances of the casting out of demons after this charge of casting them out by diabolical assistance. See Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 331.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Beelzebub. See on Mt 10:25.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.