Matthew 10:25

ἐπεκάλεσαν, a certain correction for ἐκάλεσαν. For the difference of meaning see notes infra.

25. ἀρκετὸν ἵνα, comp. ‘sufficit ut exorari te sinas.’ Plin. Such use of ut in Latin will illustrate and indeed may have influenced the extended use of ἵνα. in later Greek.

Βεελζεβούλ. Baal Zebub = ‘Lord of flies,’ i.e. ‘averter of flies,’ a serious plague in hot countries. By a slight change of letter the Jews threw contempt on their enemies’ god, calling him Baal Zebel—‘Lord of mire’—and lastly identified him with Satan. The changes from Bethel (‘House of God’) to Bethaven (‘House of naught or evil’), (Hosea 4:15), from Nahash (‘serpent’) to Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4), and from the name Barcochab (‘Son of a star’), assumed by a false Messiah, to Barcozab (‘Son of a lie’), are instances of the same quaint humour.

Another derivation of Beelzebul makes it equivalent to ‘Lord of the dwelling,’ i.e. of the abode of evil spirits. This meaning would be very appropriate in relation to ‘the master of the house;’ and the form Baalzebul is a nearer approach to the Greek word than Baalzebel.

ἐπεκάλεσαν. ‘Surnamed;’ more than ‘called’ A.V.: cp. ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Θαδδαῖος, Matthew 10:3; ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρνάβας, Acts 4:36. Probably the enemies of Jesus had actually added the name in derision.