Lucifer

( Hebrew helel ; Septuagint heosphoros , Vulgate lucifer )

The name Lucifer originally denotes the planet Venus, emphasizing its brilliance. The Vulgate employs the word also for "the light of the morning" ( Job 11:17 ), "the signs of the zodiac" ( Job 38:32 ), and "the aurora" ( Psalm 109:3 ). Metaphorically, the word is applied to the King of Babylon ( Isaiah 14:12 ) as preeminent among the princes of his time ; to the high priest Simon son of Onias ( Ecclesiasticus 50:6 ), for his surpassing virtue, to the glory of heaven ( Apocalypse 2:28 ), by reason of its excellency; finally to Jesus Christ himself ( 2 Peter 1:19 ; Apocalypse 22:16 ; the "Exultet" of Holy Saturday ) the true light of our spiritual life.

The Syriac version and the version of Aquila derive the Hebrew noun helel from the verb yalal , "to lament"; St. Jerome agrees with them ( In Isaiah 1:14), and makes Lucifer the name of the principal fallen angel who must lament the loss of his original glory bright as the morning star. In Christian tradition this meaning of Lucifer has prevailed; the Fathers maintain that Lucifer is not the proper name of the devil, but denotes only the state from which he has fallen (Petavius, De Angelis , III, iii, 4).

Rosaries by Catholic Online Shopping

Sterling Silver Genuine Green Side Stone Rosary

@ $111.97 $95.17 SAVE 15%

Turquoise Bead Rosary

@ $36.95

To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this.

Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. 98% of our readers don't give; they simply look the other way. If you donate just $5.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online could keep thriving for years. Most people donate because Catholic Online is useful. If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Show the volunteers who bring you reliable, Catholic information that their work matters. If you are one of our rare donors, you have our gratitude and we warmly thank you. Help us do more >