BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Beelzebub

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G954

Βεελζεβούλ

Beelzeboul — Beelzebul

Βεελζεβούλ (WH, App., 159, Rec., βεελζεβούλ), ὁ, indecl. (Heb. בַּעַל, lord, and the Talmudic זִבּוּל, from זֶבֶל, dung (Dalman, Gr., 137.n), or perh. זִבֻל, habitation, but, see DB, iv, 409f.; DCG, i, 181). The AV, RV, Beelzebub, comes through Vg. from 4Ki.1:2, בַּעַל זִבוּב, lord of flies (LXX, βάαλ μυῖα, Sm., βεελζεβούβ), Beelzebul, Beelzebub, a name of Satan: Mat.10:25 12:24, 27 Mrk.3:22, Luk.11:15, 18 19.† (AS)

7 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

(Gr. form Beel’zebul), the name given to Satan, and found only in the New Testament (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22). It is probably the same as Baalzebub (q.v.), the god of Ekron, meaning “the lord of flies,” or, as others think, “the lord of dung,” or “the dung-god.”

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Beelzebub in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →