Egypt’s magicians finally acknowledge ‘the finger of God’ when divine power exceeds their occult ability. Jesus uses the same phrase for expelling demons and declares that God’s kingdom has arrived upon his hearers, creating a powerful new-Exodus/defeat-of-hostile-power echo.

God’s finger also writes the covenant tablets, so the idiom elsewhere signifies direct divine agency. Exodus 8 is the closest narrative parallel because both contexts involve confrontation with hostile spiritual/magical power.

Matthew’s parallel says ‘by the Spirit of God’ where Luke says ‘by the finger of God,’ making the canonical identification of God’s active power with the Spirit especially important without erasing each evangelist’s wording.

Isaiah asks whether prey can be taken from the mighty and answers that the LORD will contend and save his children. Jesus’ stronger-man image depicts Satanic goods/captives being plundered by one stronger than the armed strong man.

Jesus redirects a blessing on his mother’s womb and breasts to those who hear God’s word and keep it, echoing his earlier definition of true family as those who hear God’s word and do it.

Jesus’ statement that the kingdom is already in their midst belongs with his earlier declaration that if he casts out demons by the finger of God, the kingdom of God has come upon them.