Βεελζεβούλ

From the study of Matthew 10:25

Range of meaning

A name for the ruler of demons in first-century Jewish usage (Matt 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). It comes from a Canaanite divine title, Baal-zebul. Ugaritic texts call Baal zbl bʿl, 'Prince Baal.' Hebrew zebul means a lofty dwelling (1 Kgs 8:13, 'an exalted house'), so the name can be heard as 'lord of the (heavenly) house.'

Against the English

KJV 'Beelzebub' follows the Latin and Syriac form, which matches 2 Kings 1:2 Baal-zebub ('lord of flies'), the god of Ekron. NLT drops the name and explains it as 'the prince of demons.'

How it drifted

'Beelzebub' passed into English through the Vulgate and the KJV, and Milton's Paradise Lost and later works made it a stock name for the devil. 'Lord of the Flies' is a meaning of the variant spelling, not of Matthew's Beelzeboul.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Kgs 1:2–16 (Baal-zebub of Ekron; Greek Old Testament 'Baal-fly, god of Ekron'). Ugaritic Baal texts (zbl bʿl). The Testament of Solomon, a Jewish-Christian text of uncertain date, probably 1st–3rd century AD, has Beelzeboul as prince of demons. Some scholars suggest that Jewish speakers also punned zebul against zebel, 'dung' ('lord of dung'), but this is uncertain.

From the study of Mark 3:22

Range of meaning

A name from the Semitic world, built on Baal, 'lord, master', the Canaanite storm god. The second part is debated. (1) zbl = 'prince, exalted one', as in the Ugaritic title zbl bʿl ('Prince Baal'; Ugarit was a Canaanite city of the Late Bronze Age), so 'Baal the Prince'. (2) Hebrew zebul = 'lofty dwelling, house', used of the Temple in 1 Kings 8:13, so 'Lord of the House'. (3) A mocking twist on zebel, 'dung', which is possible but less well supported. It is related to Baal-zebub, 'Lord of Flies', the god of Ekron in 2 Kings 1:2. Many scholars think 'flies' was itself an Israelite insult that warped the original 'Baal the Prince'.

Against the English

Modern versions keep the Greek form, 'Beelzebul'. The KJV's 'Beelzebub' comes from the Latin Vulgate, which brings in the 2 Kings form and the 'lord of the flies' meaning. The NLT simply puts 'Satan', which matches Jesus' reply but drops the name the scribes actually used.

How it drifted

Jerome's Vulgate brought the Old Testament spelling into the Gospels, and the KJV passed it on to English. 'Lord of the flies' then became the standard explanation in sermons and popular culture, helped along by Milton and later literature.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Kings 1:2–16 (Hebrew baʿal zebub; the Greek Septuagint renders it 'Baal-fly, god of Ekron'). Ugaritic texts use zbl as a royal title of Baal. Outside the Gospels (Mark 3:22; Matt 10:25, 12:24, 27; Luke 11:15, 18–19) the name is rare before Christian times. The Testament of Solomon, a Christian-era work about Solomon controlling demons, calls Beelzeboul 'prince of the demons'. Other Jewish writings of the period name other chief evil spirits: Belial in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mastema in Jubilees, Semyaza and Azazel in 1 Enoch.

From the study of Matthew 12:24

Range of meaning

A name taken from Hebrew/Aramaic, made from baʿal ('lord, owner, master', also the name of the Canaanite storm-god Baal) plus zebul. In the Gospels it names the chief of the demons (Matt 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18–19), and Jesus' reply treats it as another name for Satan (12:26). What zebul means is uncertain. The main options are: 'exalted dwelling / house / temple' (Hebrew zebul, 1 Kgs 8:13; Isa 63:15); 'prince' (Ugaritic zbl bʿl, 'Prince Baal'); or a crude insult, 'dung' (from a later Hebrew/Aramaic root meaning to manure).

Against the English

KJV and the older English tradition say 'Beelzebub', which is the form of the Philistine god in 2 Kings 1 (Baʿal-zebub, 'lord of flies'). Modern versions (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV, NASB) follow the Greek, 'Beelzebul'. NLT drops the name and puts 'Satan' in its place, which is how Jesus himself takes it in v. 26. That clarifies the identification, but the reader loses the name's background in Baal worship.

How it drifted

The Latin Vulgate and Syriac versions changed the name to 'Beelzebub' to match 2 Kings. English Bibles from Tyndale to the KJV kept that form. Milton's Paradise Lost made Beelzebub Satan's chief lieutenant, and William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies (1954) fixed 'lord of the flies' in the popular mind as what the name means.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrew Bible: Baʿal-zebub, god of Ekron, consulted by King Ahaziah (2 Kgs 1:2–16). The Greek Old Testament (LXX) translates this as 'Baal, the fly-god', and Josephus calls him 'the god Fly' (Ant. 9.19). Many scholars think zebub ('flies') was an Israelite mockery of an original zebul ('prince' or 'exalted one'), since Ugaritic texts call Baal zbl ('prince'). No surviving Jewish text before the Gospels uses 'Beelzebul' as a name for the devil; the Dead Sea Scrolls prefer Belial, and Jubilees uses Mastema. The Testament of Solomon, a text of uncertain and later date that has probably been reworked by Christians, makes Beeelzeboul 'prince of the demons'.