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Devil

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G758

ἄρχων

archōn — ruler

ἄρχων, -οντος, ὁ (present ptcp. of ἄρχω), [in LXX for נָשִׂיא., רֹאשׁ, שַׂר, etc. ;] a ruler, chief: Jesus, Rev.1:5; rulers of nations, Mat.20:25, Act.4:26 7:35; magistrates, Act.23:5, Rom.13:3; judges, Luk.12:58, Act.7:27, 35 16:19; members of the Sanhedrin, Luk.14:1 23:13, 35 24:20, Jhn.3:1 7:26, 48 12:42, Act.3:17 4:5, 8 13:27 14:5; rulers of synagogues, Mat.9:18, 23, Luk.8:41 18:18; οἱ ἄ. τ. αἰῶνος τούτου, 1Co.2:6-8; of the devil: ἄ. τῶν δαιμονίων, Mat.9:34 12:24, Mrk.3:22, Luk.11:15; ὁ ἄ. τοῦ κόσμου, Jhn.12:31 14:30 16:11; ἄ. τ. ἐξουσίας τ. ἀέρος, Eph.2:2 (MM, see word; DB, iii, 838; Ext., 99 f; DCG, ii, 419; DCG, see word Archon).† (AS)

36 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G1228

διάβολος

diabolos — devilish/the Devil

διάβολος, -ον (διαβάλλω, which see) [in LXX for שָׂטָן (as Job.1:6), exc. Est.7:4 8:1 (צַר, צָרַר) ;] slanderous, accusing falsely. As subst., ὁ, ἡ, δ.; (a) generally (of. Es, ll. with), a slanderer, false accuser: 1Ti.3:6, 7 (CGT, in l., but see infr.) 3:11, 2Ti.3:3, Tit.2:3; (b) as chiefly in LXX, of Satan, the Accuser, the Devil: Mat.4:1, 5, 8, 11 13:39 25:41, Luk.4:2, 3, 6, 13 8:12, Jhn.13:2, Act.10:38, Eph.4:27 6:11, 1Ti.3:6, 7 (but see supr.), 2Ti.2:26, Heb.2:14, Jas.4:7, 1Pe.5:8, Ju 9, Rev.2:10 12:9, 12 20:2, 10; εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ δ., Jhn.8:44, 1Jn.3:8; τέκνα τοῦ δ., 1Jn.3:10; υἱὸς, Act.13:10; metaphorically, of Judas, Jhn.6:70 (Cremer, 121; DCG, ii, 605).† (AS)

35 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3985

πειράζω

peirazō — to test/tempt: tempt

πειράζω poët. and late prose form of πειράω, which see, [in LXX for נָסָה pi. ;] 1. to make proof of (Hom.). 2. to try, attempt (Luc., Polyb., with inf. (see M, Pr., 205; B1., § 69, 4), Act.9:26 16:7 24:6. 3. In LXX and NT, like Heb. נָסָה, with accusative of person(s), to test, try, prove; (a) in a good sense : Jhn.6:6, 2Co.13:5, Heb.11:17, Rev.2:2; esp. of trials and af6ictions sent or permitted by God (Gen.22:1, Exo.20:20, Wis.3:5, al.), 1Co.10:13, Heb.2:18 4:15 11:17, 37, Rev.3:10; (b) in a bad sense (Apoll. Rhod., 3, 10): of the attempts made to ensnare Jesus in his speech, Mat.16:1 19:3 22:18, 35 Mrk.8:11 10:2 12:15, Luk.11:16, Jhn.8:6; of temptation to sin, to tempt, Jas.1:13-14 (see Hort, in l), Gal.6:1, Rev.2:10; esp. of temptations of the devil, Mat.4:1, 3 Mrk.1:13, Luk.4:2, 1Co.7:5, 1Th.3:5; ὁ πειράζων, the tempter, Mat.4:3, 1Th.3:5; (with) in bad sense also (Exo.17:2, 7, Num.14:22, al.), of distrustful testing, trying or challenging of God: Act.15:10, 1Co.10:9 (WH, mg., ἐξεπείρασαν), Heb.3:9; τ. πνεῦμα Κυρίου, Act.5:9 (of. ἐκ-πειράζω).† SYN.: δοκιμάζω, q.v (AS)

33 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G2190

ἐχθρός

echthros — enemy

ἐχθρός, -ά, -όν (ἔχθος, hatred), [in LXX chiefly for אֵיבָה, also for עָר, etc. ;] 1. hated, hateful (Hom.): opposite to ἀγαπητός, Rom.11:28. 2. Actively, hating, hostile: Rom.5:10, 1Co.15:25, 2Th.3:15; with genitive of person(s) (cl.), Jas.4:4; τ. διανοίᾳ, Col.1:21; ἐ. ἄνθρωπος, Mat.13:28; as subst., ὁ ἐ., an enemy, 1Co.15:26; the devil, Mat.13:39, Luk.10:19; with genitive of person(s), Mat.22:44 Mrk.12:36, Luk.20:43, Act.2:35, 1Co.15:25, Heb.1:13 10:13" (LXX) ; Mat.5:43-44 10:36 13:25, Luk.1:71, 74 6:27, 35 19:27, 43, Rom.12:20, Gal.4:16, Rev.11:5, 12; with genitive of thing(s), Act.13:10, Php.3:18.† (AS)

32 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3986

πειρασμός

peirasmos — temptation/testing: temptation

πειρασμός, -οῦ, ὁ (πειράζω), [in LXX for מַסָּה, עִנְיָן ;] 1. = πεῖρα, an experiment Diosc.). 2. a trial, of ethical purpose and effect, whether good or evil (see Hort on Jas.1:13) (a) in good or neutral sense: Gal.4:14, Jas.1:12, 1Pe.4:12; esp. of afflictions sent by God (Deu.7:19, Sir.21:1-28, al.): 2Pe.2:9, Rev.3:10; pl., Luk.22:28, Act.20:19, Jas.1:2, 1Pe.1:6; (b) of trial regarded as leading to sin, temptation: Luk.8:13, 1Co.10:13, 1Ti.6:9; of the temptation of Jesus by the devil, Luk.4:13; εἰσφέρειν (ἔρχεσθαι, εἰσέρχ-) εἰς π., Mat.6:13 26:41, Mrk.14:38, Luk.11:4 22:40, 46; (with) of the testing or challenge of God by man (see: πειράζω, 3, with) : Heb.3:8 (LXX: Psa.95:9, where κατα τ. ἡμέραν πειρασμοῦ = מַסָּה the day of Massah).† SYN.: δοκίμιον (AS)

20 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4566

Σατάν

Satan — Satan

Satan , i. e. an adversary, enemy : name for the Devil , (New Testament) Hebr. word. (ML)

0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

(Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev. 2:10; Zech. 3:1). He is called also “the accuser of the brethen” (Rev. 12:10). In Lev. 17:7 the word “devil” is the translation of the Hebrew sair, meaning a “goat” or “satyr” (Isa. 13:21; 34:14), alluding to the wood-daemons, the objects of idolatrous worship among the heathen. In Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 it is the translation of Hebrew shed, meaning lord, and idol, regarded by the Jews as a “demon,” as the word is rendered in the Revised Version. In the narratives of the Gospels regarding the “casting out of devils” a different Greek word (daimon) is used. In the time of our Lord there were frequent cases of demoniacal possession (Matt. 12:25-30; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:35; 10:18, etc.).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Devil in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →