Mark 3 22

Mark 3:22 kjv

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

Mark 3:22 nkjv

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."

Mark 3:22 niv

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."

Mark 3:22 esv

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."

Mark 3:22 nlt

But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, "He's possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons."

Mark 3 verses

Mark 3 22 Meaning

Mark 3:22 presents a critical moment of escalating conflict against Jesus. The verse records the accusation made by scribes who had journeyed from Jerusalem, the religious center. They claimed Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul, the chief of demons, and that He cast out other demons only by the authority of this demonic prince. This charge was the gravest possible, directly attributing God's power, visibly manifest in Jesus' miraculous healings and exorcisms, to Satan himself, thereby fundamentally slandering the very source of divine truth and goodness.

Mark 3 22 Context

Mark chapter 3 unfolds Jesus' continued ministry of healing and teaching, alongside escalating conflict with religious authorities. The chapter begins with Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, directly defying the Pharisees and leading them to plot with the Herodians to destroy Him (Mk 3:1-6). Jesus then retreats, draws a large crowd, and heals many (Mk 3:7-12). He calls the twelve apostles, specifically empowering them to cast out demons (Mk 3:13-19), linking their future ministry to His own. Immediately after, Jesus' family attempts to restrain Him, thinking He is out of His mind (Mk 3:20-21), showing a lack of understanding even from His own. In this highly charged atmosphere of growing renown, desperate opposition, and misunderstanding, the scribes' grave accusation in verse 22 forms the pinnacle of early hostile rejection, setting the stage for Jesus' teaching on the unforgivable sin. The scribes from Jerusalem represent the official, theological establishment, whose judgment carried significant weight and sought to invalidate Jesus' entire mission.

Mark 3 22 Word analysis

• And: Kai (Greek: καὶ). Connects this severe accusation directly to the preceding events of escalating opposition and Jesus' impactful ministry.
• the scribes: hoi grammateis (Greek: οἱ γραμματεῖς). Legal experts, interpreters, and teachers of the Mosaic Law and oral tradition. They held significant religious authority among the people. Their involvement indicates an official, weighty challenge.
• who came down: hoi katabantes (Greek: οἱ καταβάντες). Denotes travel from Jerusalem, located on higher ground, implying they came with a formal delegation or an investigative purpose, carrying the weight of the religious capital. This wasn't local speculation but a pronouncement from the heart of Jewish orthodoxy.
• from Jerusalem: apo Hierosolymōn (Greek: ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων). The spiritual, political, and intellectual center of Judaism. This location signifies the highest religious authority pronouncing judgment, adding gravity to the accusation.
• said: elegon (Greek: ἔλεγον). Imperfect tense, suggesting they were saying this repeatedly or making a public, continuous statement, reinforcing the spreading nature of the accusation.
• He has: en Beelzeboul echei (Greek: ἔχει ἐν Βελζεβοὺλ). Literally, "He holds/possesses in Beelzebul." This conveys being under the control or power of Beelzebul. It is a direct accusation of demonic possession, asserting that Jesus' power came from an evil source, not God.
• Beelzebul: Beelzeboul (Greek: Βεελζεβούλ). A transliteration from the Semitic Ba’al Zəḇūl or Baʿal Zĕvûḇ. The precise origin is debated but is likely a derogatory renaming of the Philistine god "Baal-zebub" (Lord of Flies or Lord of Exalted Dwelling), transforming it into "Lord of Dung" or "Lord of the Dwelling," implying chief of evil spirits. It became synonymous with the chief of demons or Satan himself. To attribute Jesus' power to Beelzebul was the most severe possible blasphemy, making God's work demonic.
• and by the prince of demons: kai en tō archonti tōn daimonion (Greek: καὶ ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων). "And by the ruler/chief of the demons." This is an appositional phrase further clarifying "Beelzebul" as the highest authority among evil spirits. Archōn (ruler, chief) implies organized power and leadership within the demonic realm, portraying Beelzebul as the direct counterpart to God.
• he casts out: ekballei (Greek: ἐκβάλλει). "He throws out, expels, drives out." The same verb is used to describe Jesus' own acts of exorcism (Mk 1:34, 39), but here the source of the power is deliberately misrepresented.
• the demons: ta daimonia (Greek: τὰ δαιμόνια). Refers to the unclean spirits, fallen angels, or malevolent entities that afflict people, which Jesus consistently had power over.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said": This phrase emphasizes the official and authoritative nature of the accusation. It highlights the organized opposition originating from the center of religious orthodoxy, seeking to invalidate Jesus' ministry and undermine His credibility through a formal, widely publicized charge. This was a deliberate effort to condemn Him.
• "He has Beelzebul": This is a direct charge of demonic possession, asserting that Jesus' power source is internal to a chief demon. It signifies the most severe religious and moral slander, attributing divine actions to satanic power. This aimed to totally discredit Jesus by portraying Him as an agent of evil.
• "and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons": This specifies the mechanism of their accusation: Jesus' power over demons comes not from God, but from the demonic hierarchy itself, specifically its highest ruler. It suggests a deceptive ploy where the ruler of demons would strategically cast out lesser demons to further his own dark agenda, implying Jesus was a puppet in this scheme. This claim implies collusion with evil rather than divine power.

Mark 3 22 Bonus section

The intensity of this accusation can be understood as the scribes' last desperate measure to halt Jesus' influence. Their authority and position were threatened by His widespread popularity and power, which openly defied their traditional interpretations and diminished their standing. By linking Jesus to Beelzebul, they were essentially labeling Him as the embodiment of anti-God, making it impossible for any devout Jew to follow Him. This also reflects the broader conflict between Jesus' direct and spirit-filled ministry and the established religious structures heavily reliant on human tradition and ritual. This specific incident illustrates the danger of intellectual pride and hardened hearts failing to discern the manifest work of God, instead resorting to slandering the very source of goodness due to envy or fear of losing control.

Mark 3 22 Commentary

Mark 3:22 marks a profound theological and personal assault on Jesus. The scribes, esteemed religious authorities, directly accuse Jesus of being an agent of Satan. This charge is not merely misjudgment; it is a willful misrepresentation of divine power, attributing the works of the Holy Spirit—evidenced by Jesus' authority over evil spirits—to the realm of darkness. Their argument, however flawed, stems from a rigid legalism that cannot comprehend divine activity outside their established interpretations. Unable to deny Jesus' powerful exorcisms, they resorted to discrediting His source of power. This deliberate reversal of good for evil (Isaiah 5:20) is presented as so egregious by Jesus that it immediately precipitates His teaching on the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30). This accusation is essentially calling the light of God's work the darkness of Satan, a spiritual blindness that consciously rejects obvious truth, indicating a hardening of hearts that cuts off the possibility of repentance. It underscores the ultimate rejection of God's saving grace embodied in Christ. This accusation wasn't based on lack of evidence, but a wilful blindness and malicious judgment, a profound spiritual misdirection from those who claimed to know God best.