Matthew 12 · Verse 27

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.
Matthew 12:27, King James Version

Matthew 12:27 in other translations

BSBAnd if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
WEBIf I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
ASVAnd if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
YLT‘And if I, by Beelzeboul, do cast out the demons, your sons--by whom do they cast out? because of this they--they shall be your judges.
DARBYAnd if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, your sons, by whom do they cast them out? For this reason they shall be your judges.
BBEAnd if I by Beelzebub send evil spirits out of men, by whom do your sons send them out? So let them be your judges.
WebsterAnd if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children expel them? therefore they shall be your judges.

What does Matthew 12:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
27. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children--"your sons," meaning here the "disciples" or pupils of the Pharisees, who were so termed after the familiar language of the Old Testament in speaking of the sons of the prophets (1Ki 20:35; 2Ki 2:3, &c.). Our Lord here seems to admit that such works were wrought by them; in which case the Pharisees stood self-condemned, as expressed in Luke (Lu 11:19), "Therefore shall they be your judges."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 27. By whom do your children, etc. Christ was not satisfied by showing them the intrinsic absurdity of their argument. He showed them that it might as well be applied to them as to him. Your disciples, taught by you, and encouraged by you, pretend to cast out devils. If your argument be true that a man who casts out devils must be in league with the devil, then your disciples have made a covenant with him also. You must therefore either give up this argument, or admit that the working of miracles is proof of the assistance of God.

The words of Christ, here, do not prove that they had actually the power of casting out devils, but only that they claimed it, and practised magic or jugglery. See Acts 19:13.

Your children. Your disciples, or followers. Mt 1:1.

They shall be your judges. They shall condemn you and your argument. They are conclusive witnesses against the force of your reasoning.

(y) "Beelzebub" Mt 13:24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 By whom do your children cast them out? - Children, or sons of the prophets, means the disciples of the prophets; and children or sons of the Pharisees, disciples of the Pharisees. From Act 19:13, Act 19:14, it is evident there were exorcists among the Jews, and, from our Lord's saying here, it is also evident that the disciples of the Pharisees did east out demons, or, at least, those who educated them wished to have it believed that they had such a power. Our Lord's argument here is extremely conclusive: If the man who casts out demons proves himself thereby to be in league with and influenced by Satan, then your disciples, and you who taught them, are all of you in league with the devil: ye must either give up your assertion, that I cast out demons by Beelzebul, or else admit this conclusion, in its fullest force and latitude, that ye are all children of the devil, and leagued with him against God. Envy causes persons often to condemn in one, what they approve in another.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:22-30

A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:22-30 →

Matthew 12:27 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
εἰeiifG1487
ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
ἐνenbyG1722
ΒεελζεβοὺλBeelzeboulBeelzebulG954
ἐκβάλλωekballōcast outG1544
τὰta<the>G3588
δαιμόνια,daimoniademons,G1140
οἱhoitheG3588
υἱοὶhuioisonsG5207
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ἐνenbyG1722
τίνιtiniwhomG5101
ἐκβάλλουσιν;ekballousindo they cast out?G1544
διὰdiaOn account ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
αὐτοὶautoithey themselvesG846
κριταὶkritaijudgesG2923
ἔσονταιesontaiwill beG1510
ὑμῶν.humōnof you.G4771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 12:27

  • Mark 9:38-39

    And 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. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

  • Acts 19:13-16

    Then 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. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

  • Luke 9:49-50

    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. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

  • Luke 11:19

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

  • Romans 3:19

    Now 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.

  • Matthew 12:41-42

    The 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. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost 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:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Beelzebub.
24
by whom.
Mr 9:38,39; Lu 9:49,50; 11:19; Ac 19:13-16
they.
12:41,42; Lu 19:22; Ro 3:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 12:26

    And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

  • 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.

  • Matthew 12:28

    But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y si yo por Beelzebub echo fuera los demonios, ¿vuestros hijos por quién los echan? Por tanto, ellos serán vuestros jueces.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et si c’est par Béelzébul que moi je chasse les démons, vos fils par qui les chassent-ils? C’est pourquoi ils seront eux-mêmes vos juges.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn ich durch Beelzebub die Dämonen austreibe, durch wen treiben eure Söhne sie aus? Darum werden sie eure Richter sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et si ego in Beelzebub ejicio dæmones, filii vestri in quo ejiciunt? ideo ipsi judices vestri erunt.