Is the name "Lucifer" actually biblical or poetic?

Question

I had read that the name Lucifer, being the representation of the Devil, wasn't actually biblical, but that the name referring to the devil didn't even come around until Dante's "Divine Comedy" and popularized by Milton's "Paradise Lost" and it's from them that the story of Lucifer is casted out from Heaven into Hell. I know the name itself has been around as it's briefly used in Homer's "Oddesy" in reference to the "dawn-bearer" (which could also be intepreted as light-bearer, aka. Lucifer) but what is biblical and what is poetry? Also, is it true that the name Lucifer was changed by St. Jerome to Satan because he felt that the name Lucifer was inappropriately given to the Devil?

Answer 1

It is biblical, but it is a misnomer that "Lucifer" refers to the devil.

"John J. Robinson in A Pilgrim's Path, pp. 47-48 explains:

"Lucifer makes his appearance in the fourteenth chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, at the twelfth verse, and nowhere else: "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!"

The first problem is that Lucifer is a Latin name. So how did it find its way into a Hebrew manuscript, written before there was a Roman language? To find the answer, I consulted a scholar at the library of the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. What Hebrew name, I asked, was Satan given in this chapter of Isaiah, which describes the angel who fell to become the ruler of hell?

The answer was a surprise. In the original Hebrew text, the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is not about a fallen angel, but about a fallen Babylonian king, who during his lifetime had persecuted the children of Israel. It contains no mention of Satan, either by name or reference. The Hebrew scholar could only speculate that some early Christian scribes, writing in the Latin tongue used by the Church, had decided for themselves that they wanted the story to be about a fallen angel, a creature not even mentioned in the original Hebrew text, and to whom they gave the name "Lucifer."

Why Lucifer? In Roman astronomy, Lucifer was the name given to the morning star (the star we now know by another Roman name, Venus). The morning star appears in the heavens just before dawn, heralding the rising sun. The name derives from the Latin term lucem ferre, bringer, or bearer, of light." In the Hebrew text the expression used to describe the Babylonian king before his death is Helal, son of Shahar, which can best be translated as "Day star, son of the Dawn." The name evokes the golden glitter of a proud king's dress and court (much as his personal splendor earned for King Louis XIV of France the appellation, "The Sun King").

The scholars authorized by ... King James I to translate the Bible into current English did not use the original Hebrew texts, but used versions translated ... largely by St. Jerome in the fourth century. Jerome had mistranslated the Hebraic metaphor, "Day star, son of the Dawn," as "Lucifer," and over the centuries a metamorphosis took place. Lucifer the morning star became a disobedient angel, cast out of heaven to rule eternally in hell. Theologians, writers, and poets interwove the myth with the doctrine of the Fall, and in Christian tradition Lucifer is now the same as Satan, the Devil, and --- ironically --- the Prince of Darkness.

So "Lucifer" is nothing more than an ancient Latin name for the morning star, the bringer of light. That can be confusing for Christians who identify Christ himself as the morning star, a term used as a central theme in many Christian sermons. Jesus refers to himself as the morning star in Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

And so there are those who do not read beyond the King James version of the Bible, who say 'Lucifer is Satan: so says the Word of God'...."

Henry Neufeld (a Christian who comments on Biblical sticky issues) went on to say,
"this passage is often related to Satan, and a similar thought is expressed in Luke 10:18 by Jesus, that was not its first meaning. It's primary meaning is given in Isaiah 14:4 which says that when Israel is restored they will "take up this taunt against the king of Babylon . . ." Verse 12 is a part of this taunt song. This passage refers first to the fall of that earthly king...
How does the confusion in translating this verse arise? The Hebrew of this passage reads: "heleyl, ben shachar" which can be literally translated "shining one, son of dawn." This phrase means, again literally, the planet Venus when it appears as a morning star. In the Septuagint, a 3rd century BC translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek, it is translated as "heosphoros" which also means Venus as a morning star.

How did the translation "lucifer" arise? This word comes from Jerome's Latin Vulgate. Was Jerome in error? Not at all. In Latin at the time, "lucifer" actually meant Venus as a morning star. Isaiah is using this metaphor for a bright light, though not the greatest light to illustrate the apparent power of the Babylonian king which then faded."

Therefore, Lucifer wasn't equated with Satan until after Jerome. Jerome wasn't in error. Later Christians (and Mormons) were in equating "Lucifer" with "Satan".
So why is this a problem to Christians? Christians now generally believe that Satan (or the Devil or Lucifer who they equate with Satan) is a being who has always existed (or who was created at or near the "beginning"). Therefore, they also think that the 'prophets' of the Old Testament believed in this creature. The Isaiah scripture is used as proof (and has been used as such for hundreds of years now). As Elaine Pagels explains though, the concept of Satan has evolved over the years and the early Bible writers didn't believe in or teach such a doctrine.

The irony for those who believe that "Lucifer" refers to Satan is that the same title ('morning star' or 'light-bearer') is used to refer to Jesus, in 2 Peter 1:19, where the Greek text has exactly the same term: 'phos-phoros' 'light-bearer.' This is also the term used for Jesus in Revelation 22:16."

Answer 2

The name "Lucifer" is latin-derived, from "lightbringer." Certainly the ancient Hebrews who wrote the old testament never used the word "lucifer;" that exact word was added in translation.

If you're asking if the angel-who-was-evicted from heaven in The Book Of Enoch is "lucifer," that's a matter for theological debate; there's some evidence for, and some against. (Unless you're dealing with people who think that translating something a certain way makes it become fact.)

If you want to know if the Serpent is "Lucifer," again, that's a matter of interpretation; the bible doesn't come straight out and say so.

Satan (probably originally "shaitan") is in the bible--as something like "god's prosecuting attorney." The word /satan/ means /adversary/, not "evil one" or anything like that. He pesters Job at God's insistance; his job is to tempt people to break God's rules.

Connecting him to the concept of the angel who rebelled is a later idea, done by Christians; the ancient Jews didn't think of Satan as "the supreme evil" or even working against God, any more than hurricanes are working "against boats."

Answer 3

The Scriptural basis for applying this name to Satan can be found in Isaiah 14:12. The Catholic Douay-Rheims version translates “Day Star” as “Lucifer,” whereas the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version (RSV CE) uses the more linguistically accurate “Day Star.” In the literal sense of the scripture verse, the Babylonian empire is being referenced. However, in the spiritual sense, the Church has long recognized that the passage speaks of a fallen angel, namely Satan:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!” (RSV CE).

Answer 4

Lucifer was the name of the brother of a Maiden Goddess of the hunt, Diana, who is also known as the Queen of the Witches. He was known as the light-bearer. The "devil" is referred to as Lucifer one time in the bible, and, while this was never proven, I think it was just added in there at the last minute.

Answer 5

Lucifer is in the KJV, Isaiah 14:12

Answer 6

"Lucifer" is the Latin name for Venus. In the process of translating from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, "morning star" ended up in the KJV as "Lucifer". It originally referred to Nebuchadnezzar.

Even though we know how all this happened, people cling to the theologies invented through such errors nonetheless. I'm not sure if that's more humorous or more sad.

Answer 7

Let'me put in this way :
"Lucifer " as name in both ways you can already related with darkness and bad things so is you WHO! can provide the categore exactly according the rest of the test!!
Of course that name has been link with devil ,satan,and other many names also you find out 666, etc.
Thanks

Answer 8

Isiah 14:12 (King James Version)
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!

Answer 9

PLEASE READ
It is true that Lucifer was changed by St Jerome. Lucifer is a latin word found in the hebrew text of Isiah 14:12. That is d only place in d bible it is found. And Isiah was written in hebrew b 4 even d latin language exsisted.

Answer 10

Lucifer is not in my bible (New American Standard Bible)