Lesson 11

In order to alter a belief, you must be willing to look objectively at the facts to determine if a change is warranted. The stronger a belief is held, the more resistant people are to change, even when the facts support it. With that in mind, let’s do a practice Bible study on a subject most people will not have a strong belief in. That way the facts we uncover will not become a stumbling block to any new discoveries we may find. Most people believe the Bible name’s Satan as Lucifer. Let’s use our Bible study principles and see if that belief is upheld. The verse where that belief comes from is Isaiah 14:12. It is commonly believed to be referring to Satan, when he rebelled against God and was cast down to the earth from heaven. Wikipedia has this to say about Lucifer.

In the Book of Isaiah, chapter 14, the king of Babylon is condemned in a prophetic vision by the prophet Isaiah and is called הֵילֵל בֶּן-שָׁחַר (Helel ben Shachar, Hebrew for “shining one, son of the morning”),[38] who is addressed as הילל בן שחר (Hêlêl ben Šāḥar).[42][43][44][45] The title “Hêlêl ben Šāḥar” refers to the planet Venus as the morning star, and that is how the Hebrew word is usually interpreted.[46][47] The Hebrew word transliterated as Hêlêl[48] or Heylel,[49] occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible.[48] The Septuagint renders הֵילֵל in Greek as Ἑωσφόρος[50][51][52][53][54] (heōsphoros),[55][56] “bringer of dawn”, the Ancient Greek name for the morning star.[57] Similarly the Vulgate renders הֵילֵל in Latin as Lucifer, the name in that language for the morning star. According to the King James Bible-based Strong’s Concordance, the original Hebrew word means “shining one, light-bearer”, and the English translation given in the King James text is the Latin name for the planet Venus, “Lucifer”,[49] as it was already in the Wycliffe Bible. However, the translation of הֵילֵל as “Lucifer” has been abandoned in modern English translations of Isaiah 14:12. Present-day translations render הֵילֵל as “morning star”

These names come from translations of the original Hebrew into other languages. The first Greek version of the original Hebrew Bible was the Septuagint. Jerome used both to complete his Latin Vulgate Bible which heavily influenced Europeans for the next thousand years. These versions created a synonymous link between Satan and Lucifer. It is important to keep in mind that Satan is the son of dawn, or morning. He is not the morning star itself. Is the meaning of original Hebrew words important?  

Isaiah 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!

Isaiah 14:12 Hebrew Names Version
How you are fallen from heaven, Heylel, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!