Bible Strands
Matthew 9:34
But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Pharisees speak to the surrounding crowd and Jesus immediately after a demon-possessed man regains his speech. They make this claim at the conclusion of a healing event that previously amazed the multitudes.
The words — ἄρχοντι (archonti) translates literally as "prince," while ἐν (en) functions as the instrumental preposition "by." These terms frame the Pharisees' direct accusation of demonic authorization for Jesus' exorcisms.
The thread — This accusation recurs in Luke 11:15 and Mark 3:22, where religious opponents attribute Jesus' exorcisms to Beelzebul. Matthew 12:23 also records the crowd's parallel reaction to these miracles.
Why it lands — The text records a direct claim that Jesus' power originates from a demonic source rather than divine authority. It asks a reader to confront the logical contradiction of attributing healing miracles to the very power those miracles oppose.
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
But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
Cross-references
- Luke 11:15 but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.”
- 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.”
- Matthew 12:23 The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”
- John 3:20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.