Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 12:22 - 12:24
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_12:22-24
22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."
Mat_12:22 This was one of the Messianic signs (cf. Isa_29:18; Isa_35:5; Isa_42:7; Isa_42:16; Mat_9:27-31; Mat_12:22; Mat_15:30; Mat_21:14). Israel herself needed this healing ministry (cf. Isa_6:9-10; Isa_42:18-22). It was a sign they refused to see!
Mat_12:23 "This man cannot be the Son of David, can He" In Greek, this question expected a "no" answer, but with the possibility that maybe it might be true. The term "the Son of David" was a Messianic title from 2 Samuel 7. It was used often by Matthew (cf. Mat_1:1; Mat_9:27; Mat_12:23; Mat_15:22; Mat_20:30-31; Mat_21:9; Mat_21:15; Mat_22:42; also note Rev_3:7; Rev_5:5; Rev_22:16).
Mat_12:24 "the Pharisees heard this, they said" This is the essence of the unpardonable sin, attributing God's work to Satan and calling that which is true, false and that which is light, darkness. The Pharisees could not deny the marvelous powers of Jesus so they attributed them to the supernatural power of the evil one (cf. Mat_9:32-34; Mar_3:22-30, Luk_11:14-26).
▣ "Beelzebul" This referred to the Ba'al (male Canaanite fertility god) of the City of Zebub (cf. 2 Kings 1). The Jews slightly changed the name to Ba'al of Zebul which meant " lord of the dung" or "lord of the flies." This word is spelled differently in the ancient texts. Zebul is in the Latin Vulgate and the Peshitta translations, while the term Zebub is in all the Greek manuscripts. It was a title for Satan. In later Judaism, Zebul was the chief of demons.