KJV
4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king
of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city
ceased! . . .
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! 13
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: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the most High. 15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,
to the sides of the pit. 16
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee,
[saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms; 17 [That]
made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that]
opened not the house of his prisoners? 18
All the kings of the nations, [even] all of them, lie in glory, every one in
his own house. 19 But
thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, [and as] the raiment
of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the
stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because
thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people: the seed of evildoers
shall never be renowned.
ASV
4 that thou shalt take up this parable against the king
of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city
ceased! . . .
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the
ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13
And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation,
in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High. 15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol,
to the uttermost parts of the pit. 16
They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, [saying], Is
this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the
cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?
18 All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in
glory, every one in his own house. 19
But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch,
clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down
to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot.
20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because
thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of
evil-doers shall not be named for ever.
NRSV
4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased! How his
insolence has ceased! . . .
12 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! 13 You said in your heart, “I will
ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on
the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; 14 I will ascend to
the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.” 15
But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you,
and ponder over you: “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook
kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its
cities, who would not let his prisoners go home?” 18 All the
kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; 19 but you
are cast out, away from your grave, like loathsome carrion, clothed with the
dead, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the Pit, like a
corpse trampled underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in
burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have killed your people. May
the descendants of evildoers nevermore be named!
Basic
English Isa 14:4
4 That you will take up this bitter song against the king
of Babylon, and say, How has the cruel overseer come to an end! He who
was lifted up in pride is cut off; . . .
12
How great is your fall from heaven, O
shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth,
low among the dead bodies! 13
For you said in your heart, I will go up to heaven, I will make my seat higher
than the stars of God; I will take my place on the mountain of the
meeting-place of the gods, in the inmost parts of the north.
14 I will go higher than the clouds; I will be like the Most
High. 15 But you will
come down to the underworld,
even to its inmost parts. 16
Those who see you will be looking on you with care, they will be in deep
thought, saying, Is this the troubler of the earth, the shaker of kingdoms? 17 Who made the world a waste, overturning its
towns; who did not let his prisoners loose from the prison-house.
18 All the kings of the earth are at rest in glory, every
man in his house, 19
But you, like a birth before its time, are stretched out with no resting-place
in the earth; clothed with the bodies of the dead who have been put to the
sword, who go down to the lowest parts of the underworld; a dead body, crushed
under foot. 20 As for
your fathers, you will not be united with them in their resting-place, because
you have been the cause of destruction to your land, and of death to your
people; the seed of the evil-doer will have no place in the memory of man.
KJV
Moreover
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take
up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious
stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the
onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the
day that thou wast created. 14
Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee
[so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and
down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou
wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the
midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and
I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou
hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I
will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they
may behold thee. 18
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the
iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst
of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth
in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be
astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt] thou [be] any
more.
ASV
Moreover
the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take
up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith
the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in
beauty. 13 Thou wast
in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius,
the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire,
the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and
of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were
prepared. 14 Thou
wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, [so that] thou wast
upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the
midst of the stones of fire. 15
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till
unrighteousness was found in thee. 16
By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence,
and thou hast sinned: therefore have
I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee,
O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast
corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before
kings, that they may behold thee. 18
By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic,
thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from
the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon
the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the peoples shall
be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and thou shalt nevermore have
any being.
NRSV
Moreover
the word of the LORD came to me: 12 Mortal, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him,
Thus says the Lord GOD: You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and
perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every
precious stone was your covering, carnelian, chrysolite, and moonstone, beryl,
onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and worked in gold were
your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were
prepared. 14 With an
anointed cherub as guardian I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of
God; you walked among the stones of fire. 15 You were
blameless in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was
found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled
with violence, and you sinned; so I
cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and the guardian cherub
drove you out from among the stones of fire. 17 Your heart
was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of
your splendor. I cast you to the
ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18
By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you
profaned your sanctuaries. So I brought out fire from within you; it consumed
you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19
All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a
dreadful end and shall be no more forever.
Basic
English
Then
the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
12 Son of man,
make a song of grief for the king of Tyre, and say to him, This is
what the Lord has said: You are all-wise and completely beautiful;
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every stone of great
price was your clothing, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl,
the onyx, and the jasper, the emerald and the carbuncle: your store-houses
were full of gold, and things of great price were in you; in the day when you
were made they were got ready. 14
I gave you your place with the winged one; I put you on the mountain
of God; you went up and down among the stones of fire.
15 There has been no evil in your ways from the day when you
were made, till sin was seen in you. 16
Through all your trading you have become full of violent ways, and have done
evil: so I sent you out shamed from the mountain of God; the winged one put
an end to you from among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was lifted up because you were beautiful, you
made your wisdom evil through your sin: I
have sent you down, even to the earth; I have made you low before
kings, so that they may see you. 18
By all your sin, even by your evil trading, you have made your holy places
unclean; so I will make a fire come out from you, it will make a meal of you,
and I will make you as dust on the earth before the eyes of all who see you.
19 All who have knowledge of you among the peoples will be
overcome with wonder at you: you have become a thing of fear, and you will
never be seen again.
KJV—And
he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
ASV—
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven.
NRSV—He
said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.
BE—
And he said, I was watching for Satan, falling from heaven like a star.
KJV
And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and
the dragon fought and his angels, 8
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now
is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of
his Christ: for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabiters of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
ASV
And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the
dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any
more in heaven. 9 And
the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil
and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and
his angels were cast down with him.
10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come
the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of
his Christ: for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,
and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even
unto death. 12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe
for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having
great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
NRSV
And
war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The
dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they were defeated, and
there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called
the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to
the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, “Now have come the
salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his
Messiah, for the accuser of our
comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of
death. 12 Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Basic
English
And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going out to the fight with
the dragon; and the dragon and his angels made war, 8 And they were overcome, and there was no more
place for them in heaven. 9
And the great dragon was forced
down, the old snake, who is named the Evil One and Satan, by whom all the
earth is turned from the right way; he was forced down to the earth, and his
angels were forced down with him.
10 And a great voice in heaven came to my ears, saying, Now
is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the
authority of his Christ: because he
who says evil against our brothers before our God day and night is forced down.
11 And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and
the word of their witness; and loving not their lives they freely gave
themselves up to death. 12
Be glad then, O heavens, and you who are in them. But
there is trouble for the earth and the sea: because the Evil One has come down
to you, being very angry, having the knowledge that he has but a short time.
________________________________________________________
Elaine Pagels, The
Origins of Satan, 1996.
Anchor Bible Dictionary, “Satan.”
_________________________________________________
Sometimes the above texts
(Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Luke 10:18; and Revelation 12:7-12) are called upon by Bible
students to yield information about the origin of Satan.
However, it should be noted that, at least when studied in their original
contexts, they do not appear to address the subject of the “origin” of Satan
to any degree. In fact, the OT texts do not mention the word “satan” (or
any other biblical designation associated with him) at all,
and the NT texts which contain the word “satan” do not specify that
they are dealing with his origin.
It cannot be denied that
Christian history is filled with speculations about angelology and demonology in
general, and about Satan in particular; there
are, indeed, firmly established Christian theologies about
such things within numerous branches of Christendom.
Nor can it be denied that a great deal of speculation about these things
existed in the ancient Mediterranean Greek and Semitic worlds as well. But the
question, here, concerns methodology in studying the Bible.
Perhaps it would be helpful if a distinction were made between (1) specific
claims of texts and (2) later uses, interpretations, and applications of
those texts. Using this
distinction, the following statement seems entirely appropriate:
When
studied in their own contexts, biblical texts do not appear in themselves to
offer information on the origin of Satan; however,
over the centuries, Christian theologies and popular beliefs have used a small
number of biblical texts to comment on and elucidate the origin of Satan by
reading those biblical texts in light of later theological or literary
developments.
Actually, much of the popular
thinking on Satan, demonology, and hell is influenced more by Dante’s Inferno
and Milton’s Paradise Lost than by
specific biblical texts themselves. More
accurately stated, the biblical
texts mentioned above are more generally read in the context of Dante’s and
Milton’s legacy than against their own ancient cultural and social contexts.
Certainly, there is everything
right about trying to find from the Bible what is relevant and helpful for
current readers. The real question
is not “whether” it is done, but “how conscious of the process are we”
when we do it. If we were to be
more aware of the process of interpretation, it might be that less dogmatism
would reign over “what the Bible says” on any given topic.
Specific Notes
Isaiah
14:12, “O Lucifer” This is an unfortunate translation found in Isa. 14:12 in the
KJV (1611), and continued in the Webster Bible (1883), the Darby Bible (1889),
the New King James, the King James 21st Century (1995), and the Revised Webster
Bible (1995).
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the
Greek OT (Septuagint), and the Latin Vulgate the phrase appears as follows:
(I'll
need to fix the fonts on these)
raxÕf$-}eB
lØ"ly"h {éyÙamf<im
fT:lÛapæn |yÖ") = heylel
ben shachar
pw½j
e)ce/pesen e)k tou= ou)ranou= o(
e(wsfo/roj o( prwiì a)nate/llwn
quomodo cecidisti de caelo lucifer qui mane oriebaris
In none of these texts is the
word a proper name, although it could be read as one.
The English name itself, “Lucifer,” derives from the Latin Vulgate.
English translations of the 19th and 20th centuries (with the exemptions
of those mentioned above—all conservative or consciously adhering to the KJV)
have universally avoided translating this phrase as “O Lucifer” (including
ERV, ASV, NASV, RSV, NRSV, NIV, NEB, REB, JB, NJB, NAB, JPS, BBE, GWB, TEV, LB,
The Promise, and The Net Bible). This
array of translations spans the entire spectrum from “liberal” to
“conservative” and includes various methods of translation procedure, from
paraphrase to “literal” translations.
In all of the above texts
(Hebrew, Greek, Latin), the phrase means, “light
bearer, star of the morning,” and, in context, refers possibly to the
planet Venus, the bright morning “star.”
In the context of Isaiah, the phrase may be calling to mind the astral
(star) religions of ancient Babylonia; in
such a case, the most immediate reference would be to the overthrow and failure
of that religion in the face of Yahweh.
However, there may be a
reflection of ancient Canaanite mythology in these verses.
Please note the following notation from the Net Bible (http://www.bible.org/netbible/)
on Isa 14:12-15:
sn/ What is the background for
the imagery in vv 12-15? This whole section (vv 4b-21) is directed to the king
of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth
address him in vv 9ff., he is called "the man" in v 16, and, according
to vv 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv 12-15
has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which
appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv 9-11), contain
several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including
references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly,
the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses
allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who
tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed
and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for
having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an
allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see
J. Martin, BKCOT, 1061).
Since Isa. 14:4 identifies the
target of this text to be the king
of Babylon, and since all of Isaiah 13:1-14:27 is detailing the sins and
fall of that king because of his former terror against other nations (including
Israel), chapters 13-14 amounts to a hope of release to captured Israel and a
taunt against Babylonia and its king:
13:1 The oracle
concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw. . . 19 And Babylon,
the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans, will be like
Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. . . . 14:4 [You] will
take up this taunt against the king of
Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased! How his insolence has ceased! . .
. 12 How you have
fallen, O day-star, son of the dawn! . . .
16 Those who see you will stare at you, and ponder over you:
“Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made
the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who would not let his
prisoners go home?” 18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his
own tomb; 19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like
loathsome carrion, clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword, who go
down to the stones of the Pit, like a corpse trampled underfoot. 20
You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your
land, you have killed your people. May the descendants of evildoers nevermore be
named! . . . 22 I will rise up against them, says the LORD of hosts,
and will cut off from Babylon
name and remnant, offspring and posterity, says the LORD.
No ancient interpreter prior to
the second century A.D. applied this text to the person of Satan.
As mentioned above, the Greek Old Testament (no earlier than 3rd century
B.C. ) does not translate “day star” as a personal name, but as a
descriptive appellation—which means that the translators did not regard this
as a name for Satan. It was not
until Christian history (after the NT), that the text of Isa. 14:12 was brought
into association with the NT “Satan” via similar wording in Luke 10:18 and
Revelation 12 and 20.
In other words, Isa 14:12 is
not, in its own context, talking about Satan.
Any use of this text for such a purpose is clearly a much later Christian
development—despite what some Study Bibles say.)
On this point of Study Bibles, it
is interesting to note that in the Harper Study Bible (1964 -- RSV) Harold
Lindsell assumes (with no proof of any kind) that Isa. 14:12 is referring to
Satan and gives nearly a quarter of a page of discussion about Satan, drawing
texts from throughout the Bible. He
states,
“Scripture
uses many names for Satan. . . . His origin is obscure, but 14:12-15, Ezek
28:12-19, and Lk.10:18 throw light on it.”
However, in the NIV Study Bible,
the following statement is made:
14:12-15
Some believe that Isaiah is giving a description of the fall of Satan [Cf.
Lk.10:18) - where, however, Jesus seems to be referring to an event contemporary
with himself.] But the passage clearly applies to the king of Babylon, who is
later used as a type [prefiguration] of the “beast” who will lead the
Babylon of the last days (see Rev.13:4; 17:3). Cf. the description of the ruler
of Tyre in Ezek. 28.
This account distinguishes
between (1) the OT text in its own context, and (2) how that OT text
is later used in the NT. Still, it
recognizes that these texts do not refer to the “origin” of Satan, either in
the OT or in the NT.
“Fell from Heaven”
It might be interesting to take
a look at all the texts in the Bible that refer in some manner to “falling
from heaven.” They are as
follows:
1Kgs 18:38;
Job 1:16; Isa 14:12;
Dan 7:2; 8:10 (Theodotian);
Matt 24:29; Mark 13:25;
Luke 10:18; Rev 6:13; 8:10;
Rev 9:1.
To “fall from heaven” is
nearly always used in the literary form of “the taunt song,” or in
apocalyptic literature, both of which have the characteristic of hyperbolic
expression. It would be like
someone telling a counselor, “My world is falling apart.”
A king of Babylon or Tyre could easily be described as “falling from
heaven” since the kingly office is a position, “on top of the world.”
And it is easy to see why later interpreters might pick up on this
concept as relevant for describing ultimate evil.
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