Orthodoxy has long thought Lucifer was Satan's proper name. They would not and will not accept the truth if it hit them between the eyes. Why? Well, myths and traditions are established easily but getting past them is almost impossible, even when the light of truth shines through to illuminate the false notion and bad translation.
The famous verse in question: Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (KJV)
To sum up the confusion L. Ray Smith states:
I suspect we will need to go beyond the early English translations and go straight to the source. Why are so many who are dispensing the word today hesitant if not absolutely resistant to drink from the fountain head? I suspect that they are used to the popish Latin traditions and interpretations. We might find in this case that the Septuagint (Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) is the root cause of this dilemma. As always, let's get into the Word!
The famous verse in question: Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (KJV)
Isaiah 14:12 quomodo cecidisti de caelo lucifer qui mane oriebaris corruisti in terram qui vulnerabas gentes ( Latin Vulgate)
Isaiah 14:12 How you have fallen from the heavens! Howl, son of the dawn! You are hacked down to the earth, defeater of all nations!" (Concordant Literal)
As you can see, not all translations of the Hebrew texts agree. Some translators decided to dig a little deeper.
According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary "Lucifer" is translated from the Hebrew heylel (in the sense of brightness); the morning-star:--lucifer, Another closely related word is halal a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast...; The last closely related and frequently found word is yalal a primitive root; to howl (with a wailing tone) or yell (with a boisterous one):--(make to) howl, be howling.
As you can see, the three words are closely related. The rendering in English is a transliteration which can cause confusion. Strong's Hebrew dictionary is a great resource but they sometimes do not have the necessary clarity.
Speaking on the same issue, well-known scholar, Edward J.Young, says that the form helel has been derived from a root meaning to “to howl".
Writing in Unsearchable Riches, J. R. Coram states that most modern commentaries and lexicons do not identify the word used in Isaiah 14:12 as the same word as used in Zechariah 11:2 even though the spelling is the same. Corham states: "we found this information from the Hebrew and English Lexicon of John Parkhurst (1823): “[The word in Isaiah 14:12] is in its form more like to the verb . . .howl, than to the noun, and accordingly the Syriac translation renders it here howl, and even Jerome on the place [i.e., in that location] observes that it literally means howl”. (p.152).
Another writer on this very same subject, L Ray Smith, used Jittel's Hebrew text for the Hebrew stem Ill "Yah-lahl or "howl". He put together the following chart:
Isa. 13:6
|
eiliu
|
Howl ye
|
Isa. 14:31
|
eili
|
Howl
|
Isa. 15:2
|
iilil
|
shall howl
|
Isa. 15:3
|
iilil
|
shall howl
|
Isa. 16:7
|
iilil
|
Howl
|
Isa. 16:7
|
iilil
|
shall howl
|
Isa. 23:1
|
eililu
|
Howl ye
|
Isa. 23:6
|
eililu
|
Howl ye
|
Isa. 23:14
|
eililu
|
Howl ye
|
Isa. 52:5
|
eililu
|
make to howl
|
Isa. 65:14
|
eililu
|
shall howl
|
Jer. 4:8
|
ueililu
|
Howl
|
Jer. 25:34
|
eililu
|
Howl
|
Jer. 47:2
|
ueill
|
and shall howl
|
Jer. 48:20
|
eilili
|
Howl
|
Jer. 48:31
|
ailil
|
will I howl
|
Jer. 48:39
|
eililu
|
They shall howl (Howl ye)
|
Jer. 49:3
|
eilili
|
Howl (Howl ye)
|
Jer. 51:8
|
eililu
|
howl
|
Ezek.30:2
|
eililu
|
Howl ye
|
Hos. 7:14
|
iililu
|
They howled
|
Joel 1:5
|
ueililu
|
And howl
|
Joel 1:11
|
eililu
|
howl
|
Joel 1:13
|
eililu
|
And shall be howlings
|
Amos 8:1
|
ueililu
|
and howl
|
Micah 1:8
|
uailile
|
howl ye
|
Zeph. 1:11
|
aililu
|
Howl
|
Zech.11:2
|
eill
|
howl
|
Zech.11:2
|
eililu
|
howl
|
Isa. 14:12
|
eill
|
Lucifer (??)
|
One need not be a Hebrew scholar to see that the proper name "Lucifer" is out of place.
Kittel in a footnote informs us that it is only the Septuagint (which, remember, is the Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) that we find this word ell instead of eill. This word was translated into eospearos, which Jerome translated into Lucifer with a capital "L," which the King James translators carried over into English without checking the HEBREW manuscripts, which would have solved this dilemma. All Hebrew manuscripts have eill in Isaiah 14:12, and remember that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, NOT Greek or Latin!
Now we have the answer. Lucifer is NOT Satan's name; never was, never will be. With the way theologians love tradition, I suspect that we will not see this error corrected in our lifetime. There is one translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, that I know of, that does not conform to the traditional rendering; The Concordant Version of the Old Testament.
Satan is known by many names: Deceiver, Serpent, Great Dragon, Waster and Devil. There are probably a few more. Please note however, Lucifer is not one of them. Don't tell the King James Only folks, they still think the KJV is perfect.
Contend for the faith! While you are at it, stand for the truth!
Grace be with you!
References and resources for your own study can be found at:
L. Ray Smith, The Lake of Fire Series available at: http://bible-truths.com/
Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, Volume I, Chapters 1 to18, pp.440,441 (Grand Rapids, Michigan:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
Unsearchable Riches, MARCH 2000 being the second number of volume ninety-one, page 55, 56.
www.concordant.org One year subscription of Unsearchable Riches for only 1.00
www.concordant.org One year subscription of Unsearchable Riches for only 1.00
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