Who Is Lucifer?

It is popularly thought that “Lucifer” is the name of Satan, the devil. However, this is not true.

In reality, the name “Lucifer” is only found in only one verse of the Bible, and in only one translation. Isaiah 24:12 in the KJV reads:

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

Indeed, the name “Lucifer” is not found in other modern translations of this verse:

• ESV: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!”
• NASB: “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!”
• NIV: “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!”
• NLT: “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning!”

The Word “Lucifer”

“Lucifer” is not actually a proper name. Rather, it is a Latin word meaning “light-bearer”. It was used as a term for a bright star.

Since the Book of Isaiah was written in Hebrew and not Latin, the word “Lucifer” does not appear at all in the original Hebrew text of Isaiah 14:12. Rather, the Hebrew word for “Lucifer” in the KJV is hēylēl (הֵילֵל). It describes a bright star which appears before the sun rises.

In the fourth century CE, a Christian named Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. In his translation of Isaiah 14:12, Jerome rendered the Hebrew word hēylēl with the Latin word lucifer. The KJV translators simply adopted Jerome’s Latin rendering lucifer into their translation of Isaiah 14:12.

Again, lucifer is not a proper name, but rather a Latin word for a “bright star”. Elsewhere in his Latin translation, Jerome used the word lucifer to describe Jesus as a “bright star” (2 Pet. 1:19).

A Fallen Angel?

It is commonly assumed that Isaiah 14:12 was a proclamation that was directed at Satan. However, this is not true. In context, the entire passage was actually addressed to “the king of Babylon”, and not to Satan (v. 3).

However, some might argue, “But Isaiah 14:12 says that this Bright Star had fallen from heaven! Did the king of Babylon fall from heaven? The next verse even says that the Bright Star wanted to ascend to heaven and exalt his throne above the stars of God! Clearly, this cannot be talking about a human being; this must be talking about a heavenly being—Satan!”

However, not every passage of the Bible was intended to be interpreted literally. Some Bible passages were intended to be taken figuratively, especially prophetic declarations like this in Isaiah 14:3–27. Another example of figurative language in prophetic declaration is Jesus’ declaration against Capernaum, in Matthew 11:23:

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. (ESV)

Jesus used the same language to address Capernaum as Isaiah used when he addressed the Bright Star. Now, was Jesus saying that the town of Capernaum wanted to be literally raised to heaven and will be literally brought down to Hades? Of course not. Rather, he was speaking figuratively. Clearly, Jesus was not addressing a fallen angel in Matthew 11:23 any more than Isaiah was addressing a fallen angel in Isaiah 14:12.