Bible Strands
Mark 3:30
Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks immediately after pronouncing judgment on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, addressing the scribes who have come down from Jerusalem. He delivers this explanation at the precise moment they attribute his exorcisms to demonic power.
The words — ἔλεγον (elegon) means they were saying, and πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον (pneuma akatharton) translates directly to unclean spirit. These terms record the exact verbal charge the scribes leveled against Jesus.
The thread — The accusation appears in Mark 3:22, where the scribes claim Jesus operates by Beelzebul, and resurfaces in John 10:20, where crowds call him demon-possessed and insane. The repeated charge tracks a consistent pattern of misattributing divine authority.
Why it lands — The text states that Jesus issued his warning specifically because of this accusation, establishing a direct link between the charge and the unforgivable sin. It requires the reader to distinguish between honest doubt and the deliberate attribution of the Holy Spirit’s work to Satan.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Cross-references
- John 10:20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
- Mark 3:22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”