Who is Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12?
by Jason Dulle JasonDulle@sbcglobal.net Question: I have heard, with some pretty good argument, that in Isaiah 14 “Lucifer” is not Satan, nor any angel at all, but is actually King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Have you heard of this, and what do you think? Answer: There is no doubt about it that Isaiah 14, which speaks of “Lucifer,” is referring to the king of Babylon. In fact, the name “Lucifer” does not even appear in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew behind this translation consists of three words meaning “Helel son of Shachar”, which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus), and thus is translated as “son of the morning star” by most translations. The translation of “Lucifer” was carried over from the reading in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate, not the Hebrew text. The NET Bible offers the following comments concerning this passage: 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
