What is the meaning of Luke 11:19?

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul

• Jesus has just cast out a mute demon (Luke 11:14). Some onlookers accuse Him of working by “Beelzebul,” a title linked to Satan (cf. Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22).

• By repeating their charge, Jesus exposes its flaw: if He were empowered by the prince of demons, Satan would be attacking his own kingdom, something Jesus says is self-destructive (Luke 11:17–18).

• Scripture consistently shows that Jesus’ authority over evil spirits proves His divine mission, not demonic collusion (Luke 4:41; Acts 10:38).

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by whom do your sons drive them out?

• “Your sons” refers to Jewish exorcists known among the people (see Acts 19:13; also implied in Mark 9:38).

• Jesus argues from common ground: if exorcisms are accepted as God’s work when performed by their own, why shift the standard when He does the same?

• The inconsistency unmasks bias, echoing Proverbs 20:23—“Differing weights are detestable to the LORD.”

• Their own practitioners, whom the crowd respects, stand as living evidence that expelling demons is a work aligned with God rather than Satan.

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So then, they will be your judges

• On Judgment Day the hypocrisy will be exposed: the “sons” they commend will testify—by their very ministries—that Jesus acted by the same righteous power (cf. Matthew 12:27; Romans 2:1).

• This mirrors other occasions where those who respond rightly to God become witnesses against the unbelieving (Luke 11:31–32).

• Jesus isn’t shifting blame; He is underscoring accountability. When truth is plain yet rejected, even familiar voices will confirm the verdict (John 5:45–47).

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summary

Luke 11:19 reveals Jesus’ masterful, logical defense against a slanderous charge. If His accusers accept the legitimacy of their own exorcists, they must also accept His—unless they are willing to condemn their “sons” and expose their own double standard. Ultimately, those very “sons” will testify against the hypocrisy, vindicating Jesus and confirming that His power comes from the Spirit of God, not from Beelzebul.