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Hebrew Bible · Isaiah 14:12–15

How art thou fallen, O Lucifer

EvidenceDocumentedThe text exists and is quoted from a published translation. What it describes is a separate question.What this means
ReferenceIsaiah 14:12–15
Writtenc. 550 BCE
SetA taunt against the king of Babylon
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!… For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

Translation: KJV

Read it literally

A leader who tried to take the high ground among the 'stars of God' and was thrown down.

What scholars say

Lucifer is the Latin for Hebrew Helel ben Shahar, 'shining one, son of dawn', the morning star (Venus).

From the sky Council of gods

Quick answers about Isaiah 14:12–15

Where is Isaiah 14:12–15 found?

Isaiah 14:12–15 (Hebrew Bible). Translation quoted: King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with Apocrypha.

When was Isaiah 14:12–15 written?

c. 550 BCE.

What do scholars say about Isaiah 14:12–15?

Lucifer is the Latin for Hebrew Helel ben Shahar, 'shining one, son of dawn', the morning star (Venus).

Rabbit holes in this passage

BeingHelel ben Shahar (Lucifer)The name Lucifer comes from a Latin word for the planet Venus as the morning star, which rises bright and vanishes in the sun's glare. In Isaiah 14 a shining one tries to lift his throne above the stars and is thrown down. In context it mocks a king of Babylon. So how did it become a story about Satan?

Sources

  1. King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with ApocryphaPrimary text
  2. Isaiah 14:4–15, King James VersionPrimary text

Scholarly dates are rounded. The wording follows the named public-domain translation.

Updated