The Name "Lucifer"

Author: Frank W. Nelte

In the English version of the Bible the name "Lucifer" appears only one time--in Isaiah
14:12. This reads:

1. "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning..."

2. "Lucifer" is not an English word, but a Latin word. The question is: who gave the
world this Latin name?

3. In A.D. 382 Pope Damascus commissioned the scholar Jerome to make an official
revision of the Latin versions of the Bible that were floating around in the Catholic
Church. Jerome went off to a cave in Bethlehem where he proceeded to make his
translation, supposedly based on the Hebrew text, but in practice based very largely on
the Septuagint version (i.e. "LXX") that Origen had produced about 140 years earlier
while in Caesarea. (The truth about the LXX is another subject that I have discussed in a
separate paper.)

Anyway, by A.D. 405 Jerome had completed his work, which we today know as "The
Latin Vulgate" Bible. It is far from an infallibly accurate translation of the original texts.
Rather, it is an interpretation of thought put into idiomatic, graceful Latin!

For a thousand years this Translation was without a rival--and herein lies the problem!

4. Jerome had understood that Isaiah 14:12 is talking about Satan. There the Hebrew
word "heylel" is used and Jerome translated this into Latin as "lucifer"!

This is a mistranslation!!!

5. The word "Lucifer" comes from 2 Latin words:

Lux (=light) + ferous (=to bear or carry). Thus the name "Lucifer" means:Light-bearer or
Light-bringer.

But this is not what the Hebrew word "heylel" means! We'll see later exactly what this
word does mean.

6. Anyway, as a result of this Latin Vulgate translation, which was almost the only
version of the Bible in use throughout Europe for the next 1000 years, Satan popularly
became known as Lucifer. It should be self-evident that when the first people who
translated the Bible into English came along, one of their paradigms was that the name
"Lucifer" applied to Satan. When they came to translate Isaiah 14:12 into English, they
decided that rather than actually "translate" the word "Heylel," they would simply
substitute it with the already well-known (originally) Latin name "Lucifer." And they
could do this because on the surface this seems to be a reasonably accurate translation.
But it isn't really!

7. I mentioned earlier that the word "Lucifer" appears only once in the English versions
of the Bible. But in the Latin Vulgate translation of Jerome it appears twice! That's right,
twice! Where else is this word used and who does it refer to? Jerome certainly knew who
it refers to. This knowledge also casts a dark cloud over his intentional use in Isaiah
14:12!

8. 2 Peter 1:19 reads : "...until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." this is
another mistranslation!!!

The two words "day star" are a translation of the one Greek word "phosphoros." This
comes from the two Greek words:

Phos (=light) + phero (=to bear or carry). Thus the Greek word "phosphoros" means
Light-bearer or Light-bringer.

Anyone who knows both, Greek and Latin, can verify that the Greek word "Phosphoros"
and the Latin word "Lucifer" are absolutely, one hundred percent identical in meaning.
"Lucifer" is the perfect translation into Latin of the Greek word "Phosphoros."

9. Now let's note the dishonesty, first of the English translators and then of Jerome--

All of the English translators of the Bible know very well that the word "Phosphoros" in
2 Peter 1:19 can be perfectly accurately translated by the word "Lucifer." Instead they
have chosen to deliberately obscure this fact. Why?

They knew very well that 2 Peter 1:19 refers without doubt to Jesus Christ. This verse
calls Jesus Christ "Phosphoros" (in Greek) or "Lucifer" (in Latin). Yet the translators
have hidden this fact behind the words "day star." The facts are that "Phosphoros" has
absolutely nothing to do with either "day" or "star"! The translators simply borrowed a
term that is elsewhere used for Christ--namely "morning star" in Revelation 2:28 (Greek
= proinos + aster) and in Revelation 22:16 (Greek = orthrinos + aster).

To translate "phosphoros" as "day star" is plain dishonesty!!!

10. Now let's look at Jerome. The phrases quoted under point #8 above are translated by
Jerome into Latin as follows:

"...donec dies elucescat et lucifer oriatur in cordibus vestris."

Notice that Jerome correctly translated the Greek "phosphoros" into the Latin word
"lucifer." Jerome obviously knew that this verse refers to Jesus Christ--yet he wrote
"lucifer" with a small "l" and did not capitalize the word. He also knew that he had
translated the word "phosphoros" perfectly into Latin.

With this write-up I am including photo-copies of 2 peter 1:19 and Isaiah 14:12 from the
Latin vulgate. (Comment: that is what I sent to Pasadena with the original write-up I sent
through to them about 4-5 years ago. I can't really put photo-copies on Internet ).

Jerome knew that in the New Testament "Lucifer" is a title for Jesus Christ; yet he still
chose to also translate the less- clearly defined Hebrew word "Heylel" in Isaiah 14:12 as
"Lucifer," knowing that this word referred to Satan--and here Jerome started the word
with a capital "L," as can be seen from the enclosed photo-copies.

So with Jerome Satan gets a name that refers to Christ with a capital letter--and Christ
gets His own name only with a small letter.

11. Now let's look at the Hebrew word "heylel"--

It is used only once in the Bible, in Isaiah 14:12. That does not give us any further
insight. But "Heylel" is derived from the primitive root word "halal" It is this word that
gives us understanding of what "Heylel" really means. I might add here that this is also
the only way that Jerome and the English translators could come to an understanding of
what "Heylel" means--by clearly understanding the meaning of the word that "Heylel" is
derived from, since it is only used one single time.

12. "Halal" is used 165 times in the Old Testament and it is translated as follows in the
KJV:

117 times = Praise

14 times = Glory
10 times = Boast
8 times = Mad
3 times = Shine(d)
3 times = Foolish
2 times = Fools
2 times = Commended
2 times = Rage
1 time = Celebrate
1 time = Give
1 time = Marriage
1 time = Renowned

This should make clear that the translators felt they should attach over a dozen different
meanings to this word "Halal." The meanings are both, good and bad; both, positive and
negative.
There is no question that this word has a good, positive meaning. But neither is there any
question that it also has a bad, negative meaning. Jerome, without the slightest proof
available to him, decided to give the word "Heylel" a good, positive meaning. All the
major translators into English have simply followed Jerome's lead, who was working for
Pope Damascus, remember?

Anyone who has studied what God tells us about Satan, should realize immediately that
Satan is--"mad, boastful, a fool and foolish and he does rage." These words with which
"Halal" is translated in numerous places, fit Satan perfectly.

The very next verses in Isaiah show Satan boasting! Read Isaiah 14:13 - 14! That is why
God calls him "heylel"--because he boasted!! What could be plainer?

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high" (Isaiah
14:13-14).

Satan's "boasting" is so very obvious in these verses!

13. Now here are some of the places where "Halal" is translated as:

• •"Mad" = 1 Samuel 21:13; Psalms 102:8; Ecclesiastes 2:2; 7:7; Isaiah 44:25;
Jeremiah 25:16; 50:38; 51:7;
• •"Fools" = Job 12:17; Psalms 75:4;
• •"Foolish" = Psalms 5:5; 73:3; 75:4;
• •"Rage" = Jer 46:9; Nahum 2:4;
• •"Boast" = 1 Kings 20:11; Psalms 10:3; 34:2; 44:8; 49:6; 52:1; 97:7; Proverbs
20:14; 25:14; 27:1.

14. It should be very clear by now that "Heylel" has nothing to do with the words "Star"
or "Day" or "Morning" or "Bringing" or "Carrying." Notice also that he is "the son
(Hebrew = the product) of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12). Christ is the Morning Star and it
is He who created Satan. And Satan has deceived all of mankind into giving him the
exalted title, which is what it really is, and which rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ, of
"Light-Bringer." One clear fulfilment of Revelation 12:9--.

15. Paul explained this in 2 Corinthians 11:14, where he tells us: "...for Satan himself is
transformed (Greek = disguised) into an angel of light." Do you grasp this? He has
deceived the world into believing that Isaiah 14:12 tells us that he used to hold Christ's
job ( as per 2 Peter 1:19)--that he used to be an angel who was a "Light-bringer."

16. Once you get rid of the old paradigm that "Lucifer is a name that used to refer to
Satan" and grasp that the Bible identifies Christ as "Lucifer" (or "Phosphoros" in Greek),
the Light-bringer, then you'll be surprised how many scriptures literally flood into your
mind in support of this--. e.g.
 • •John 8:12 = "I am the light of the world..."
• •John 3:19 = "...that light is come into the world..."
• •John 1:4 - 8 = "...in Him was...the light of men..."
• •John 12:36 = "...believe in the light..." etc., etc..

17. We need to understand that God has absolutely no reason to reveal Satan's previous
name to us. Why should we have to know it? (Apart from Ezekiel 28:12-15) nowhere in
the bible is anything good said about Satan!! Notice that in Ezekiel 28, where God does
speak about Satan's existence before the creation of man, God reveals that Satan had been
an anointed cherub--but God does not use any name that previously applied to Satan.
Why not? If it was a "good" name that we should know about, it would have fitted
perfectly into this description of Satan's prior glory. But Ezekiel 28 carefully avoids
hinting at any previous name. And so why should Isaiah 14:12 be an exception--by
giving us a lofty title that supposedly belonged to Satan at one time, and which Peter in
fact tells us is Christ's title?

Whatever name Satan may have had previously is totally blotted out before God--it is as
though Satan never ever had that name. That's what sin does--it totally blots out any
memory of any good that went before. That's what God tells us in Ezekiel 3:20 and 18:24
and 33:13. If the righteous turns away from God, then--"all his righteousness shall not be
remembered." Isn't this plain enough? After Satan sinned, why should God want us to
know about Satan's supposed "good name" from a previous time???

Understand this: even if "Lucifer" really had at one stage been Satan's name, God still
would not want us to use it in reference to Satan! It is God who reveals Satan to us by the
name "Satan"! And it is God who reveals Satan as a braggart in Isaiah 14:12-14.

18. Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4) who has blinded the minds of people.
He has churches and ministers who disguise themselves as "...the ministers of
righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:15), a plain reference to them disguising themselves as
"Christians." Satan's universal ("catholic") church gave Satan one of Christ's names by
means of a mistranslation from the Hebrew into Latin. Jerome was clearly working for
Satan when he converted the Greek word "Phosphoros," used in 2 Peter 1:19 for Jesus
Christ, into a personal name for Satan in the Old Testament. Jerome knew that
"Phosphoros" refers to Christ. If he really was a Hebrew scholar, as is generally claimed,
then he also knew that "Halal" also has negative connotations like "mad, boast, foolish,"
etc. because he would have had to translate this word into Latin 165 times. Did Jerome
really not understand the context of boasting in this passage??

For over 1000 years this name was used for Satan in the western world. It was placed
above question as a former name for Satan. So translators and students of the Biblical
languages and of Latin have also accepted this as a fact that should not be questioned.
Satan clearly does not want his "right" to the name "Lucifer" questioned. Those who use
it for Satan show they are "worshipping" Satan--by attributing one of Christ's names to
Satan.
I could carry on with some more points, but I feel that the above information should
suffice to understand that Satan is never referred to as "lucifer" in the Word of God. So
what about you--will you continue to refer to Satan as having once been called
"Lucifer"?? You now know the facts!

Frank W. Nelte

STOP- READ THIS!

Dear Reader, Now that we have your attention, may we also make note that since, “You
now know the facts!”, you may be even more interested in knowing the rest of the story.

As the above author wrote:

Once you get rid of the old paradigm that "Lucifer is a name that used to refer to
Satan" and grasp that the Bible identifies Christ as "Lucifer" (or "Phosphoros" in
Greek), the Light-bringer, then you'll be surprised how many scriptures literally
flood into your mind in support of this--. e.g.

We can now add, without the preconceived notion that Lucifer is a prior name for
“Satan”, that we have removed the “reason” for placing “Satan” into Isaiah 14:12 in the
first place.

Concerning Is. 14:!2 please note the author’s statement:

Anyone who has studied what God tells us about Satan, should realize
immediately that Satan is--"mad, boastful, a fool and foolish and he does rage."
These words with which "Halal" is translated in numerous places fit Satan
perfectly.

The following is also true of the King of Babylon! So why substitute Satan for this
human king without cause? If you think that this is cause:

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the most high" (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Then be aware that in the Hebrew culture of that day, these were all expressions of
bravado and pride used to denote supremacy over Israel.

“I will ascend into heaven” does not mean what we think it does in English. It simply
means that his power was far reaching and he dominated many formerly strong nations.

“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” has nothing to do with outer space, but
with ruling over the royalty of Judah.
“I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation”, likewise, rule “over” the House of
Judah.

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high"” is pure
boastfulness and vanity and hyperbole related to his sovereignty and spread of his
empire.

To borrow from the above author, “That is why God calls him "heylel"--because he
boasted!! What could be plainer?”

For a Scriptural examination of the story of and behind the “satan” found in the bible,
please see the article entitled, “Sin and Satan”elsewhere on this website.

Then, when you have encountered further questions, please forward them to Richard Fix
at the email address offered on the website.