It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub. All the Greek manuscripts write "Beelzebul," which undoubtedly is the right form of this word. The other reading came in no doubt from the Old Testament "Baalzebub," the god of Ekron (2 Kings 1:2), which it was designed to express. As all idolatry was regarded as devil-worship (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalms 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20), so there seems to have been something peculiarly Satanic about the worship of this hateful god, which caused his name to be a synonym of Satan. Though we nowhere read that our Lord was actually called "Beelzebul," He was charged with being in league with Satan under that hateful name (Matthew 12:24; Matthew 12:26), and more than once Himself was charged with "having a devil" or "demon" (Mark 3:30; John 7:20; John 8:48). Here it is used to denote the most opprobrious language which could be applied by one to another.
How much more [shall they call] them of his household? х oikiakous (G3615)] - 'the inmates.' Three relations in which Christ stands to His people are here mentioned: He is their Teacher-they His disciples; He is their Lord-they His servants; He is the Master of the household-they its inmates. In all these relations, He says here, He and they are so bound up together that they cannot look to fare better than He, and should think it enough if they are no worse.