Difference between revisions of "Lucifer"

<p> (1): (n.) A genus of free-swimming macruran Crustacea, having a slender body and long appendages. </p> <p> (2): (n.) A match made of a sliver of wood tipped with a combustible substance, and ignited by friction; - called also lucifer match, and locofoco. See Locofoco. </p> <p> (3): (n.) The planet Venus, when appearing as the morning star; - applied in Isaiah by a metaphor to a king of Babylon. </p> <p> (4): (n.) Hence, Satan. </p>

<p> (Heb. Heylel', הֵילֵל; Sept. ὁ ῾Εωσφόρος ), a word that once occurs in the English Version in the lines, </p> <p> "How art thou fallen from heaven, </p> <p> O Lucifer, son of the morning! </p> <p> How art thou cut down to the ground, </p> <p> Which didst weaken the nations!" </p> <p> (Isaiah 14:12). It is taken from the Vulgate, which understood the [[Hebrew]] word to be the name of the morning star, and therefore rendered it by the [[Latin]] name of that star, Lucifer, i.e., "light-bringing." The derivation has been supposed to be from הָלִל, halal', to shine. The same word here translated "Lucifer," however, occurs also in Ezekiel 21:12 [17], as the imperative of יָלִל, yalal', " to howl," "to lament," and is there rendered "howl." Some take it in the same acceptation in the above passage, and would translate. "Howl, son of the morning!" But to this the structure of the verse is entirely opposed, for the parallelism requires the second line to refer entirely to the condition of the star before it had fallen, as the parallel member, the fourth line, does to the state of the tree before it was cut down. Hence the former derivation is to be preferred, namely, "brilliant," "splendid," "illustrious," or, as in the Septuagint, Vulgate, the rabbinical commentators, Luther, and others, "brilliant star;" and if Henylel, in this sense, was the proper name among the Hebrews of the morning star, then "Lucifer" is not only a correct but beautiful interpretation, both as regards the sense and the application. That it was such is probable from the fact that the proper name of the morning star is formed by a word or words expressive of brilliance, in the Arabic and Syriac, as well as in the [[Greek]] and Latin (see Gesenius, Commentar, ad loc.). Tertullian and [[Gregory]] the Great understood this passage of Isaiah in reference to the fall of Satan; in consequence of which the name [[Lucifer]] has since been applied to Satan, and this is how the usual acceptation of the word. But Dr. Henderson, who in his Isaiah renders the line "Illustrious son of the morning!" justly remarks in his annotation: "The application of this passage to Satan, and to the fall of the apostate angels, is one of those gross perversions of [[Sacred]] [[Writ]] which so extensively obtain, and which are to be traced to a proneness to seek for more in any given passage than it really contains, a disposition to be influenced by sound rather than sense, and an implicit faith in received interpretations." The scope and connection show that none but the king of [[Babylon]] is meant. In the figurative language of the Hebrews, a star signifies an illustrious king or prince (Numbers 24:17; compare Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16). The monarch here referred to, laving surpassed all other kings in royal splendor, is compared to the harbinger of day, whose brilliancy surpasses that of the surrounding stars. [[Falling]] from heaven denotes a sudden political overthrow — a removal from the position of high and conspicuous dignity formerly occupied (comp. Revelation 6:13; Revelation 8:10). Delitzsch adopts the same view (Comment. ad loc.). "In another and far higher sense, however, the designation was applicable to him in whom promise and fulfillment entirely corresponded, and it is so applied by [[Jesus]] when he styles himself 'The bright and morning Star' (Revelation 22:16). In a certain sense it is the emblem also of all those who are destined to live and reign with him (Revelation 2:28)." (See [[Star]]). </p>

<p> Lu´cifer, a word that occurs once in the English Version in the lines— </p> <p> 'How art thou fallen from heaven, </p> <p> Lucifer, son of the morning! </p> <p> How art thou felled to the ground, </p> <p> That didst weaken the nations!' </p> <p> . The meaning of the [[Hebrew]] word seems to be 'brilliant,' 'splendid,' 'illustrious,' and it appears to have been the Hebrew name of the morning star. Tertullian and [[Gregory]] the Great understood this passage of Isaiah in reference to the fall of Satan; in consequence of which the name [[Lucifer]] has since been applied to Satan; and this is now the usual acceptation of the word. But Dr. Henderson, who in his Isaiah renders the line, 'Illustrious son of the morning!' justly remarks in his annotation: 'The application of this passage to Satan, and to the fall of the apostate angels, is one of those gross perversions of [[Sacred]] [[Writ]] which so extensively obtain, and which are to be traced to a proneness to seek for more in any given passage than it really contains, a disposition to be influenced by sound rather than sense, and an implicit faith in received interpretations. The scope and connection show that none but the king of [[Babylon]] is meant. In the figurative language of the Hebrews a star signifies an illustrious king or prince (; comp.; ). The monarch here referred to, having surpassed all other kings in royal splendor, is compared to the harbinger of day, whose brilliancy surpasses that of the surrounding stars. [[Falling]] from heaven denotes a sudden political overthrow—a removal from the position of high and conspicuous dignity formerly occupied (comp.; ). </p>