The other side (what is evil)

We will discuss the concepts of evil however I will not try to get inside the minds of evil but explain it’s scriptural meanings.The question asked by many of why does an all powerful and benevolent God allow evil to exist.I do history,etymology and factual things and am not a theologian or a spirtual leader and an I am not qualified to answer those types of questions.Although many do say there can not be free will without evil and maybe that is true.

Satan

This means most literally “accuser” but more broadly opposer or enemy or adversary.This is not a proper name but more a title a role of an accuser or enemy as you see in the book of Job for instance.In the Hebrew Bible this word is often prefixed with the definite article and Hebrew like English never gives personal name the definite article.In most senses satan is a title or office and is not a personal.When people often use the term satan what they mean is the adversarial forces not a single evil spirit.Some times the prince of demons or prince of darkness is called satan but in his official capacity not as a personal name.

Devil or “The Devil”

Same idea as satan ,an accuser.Devil is from medieval Dutch meaning “to throw across” so in other words a hurler of accusations or a persecutor.If you remember the famous quote of Jesus “he who is without sin will cast the first stone” a devil does indeed “throw across” stones metaphorically speaking.There is no demonology really in the Bible Old or New Testament all the names for evil spirits are symbolic.The term devil came out in English and German translations of the Bible as a way to express the concept of satan and devil is not found in any Hebrew or Greek or even Latin Bibles.Like the word hell which came from the Old Norse “Helle” which was the resting place of Norsemen who did not die in battle(as opposed to Valhalla where those who died in battle go,Valhalla meaning “hall of the fallen”).The English language had no word for a place of eternal suffering or perdition so they used hell to describe the Greek Hades found in Paul’s letters.So devil is the same as satan basically.The English when they converted to Christianity and I don’t mean the early Britannic conversion by Rome but the later 6th century Saxons converting to Christianity.They did not have a lot of the words from the Greek or Hebrew Bible and so they barrowed from Norse or Germanic words and devil and hell or examples.

Demon

This comes from the Greek word “daemon” which meant genius or a being of great intelligence.Later in Christian tradition this word was used to mean a divine being living in rebellion against God or that is (evil spirit).

Sheid שד

The most common Hebrew word for a demon or evil spirit and this is synonymic with the Arabic Djinn (Genie in Greek).The origin or meaning of sheid or djinn/genie is not fully known but could have meant “laying to waste.It is not super common to find in Tanakh(Old Testament).

Dibuk דיבוק

Literally meaning “to cling” this is a possessing spirit either a demon or a ghost of a dead person.

Mazikim  מַזִּיקִים or mazikin singular

These are known to cause annoyances sort of like a poltergeist they also can cause bigger damages but not usually.

Beelzebub

Slang term sort of a joke ,this come from the Hebrew word “baalzevuv” which means the lord of fly’s and because fly’s congragate on dung baalzevuv more loosely means lord of dung.Or in other words lord of the lowest of low or in other words lord of the underworld.This was a slangy sarcastic way to say “lord of the underworld” basically.

Ashmodai/Asmodeus likely Persian origin

This likely comes from a Avestan Iranian word for “wrath” likely coming from the Babylonian captivity and cited in the book of Tobit a book only found in the Catholic apocrypha.Ashmodai is generally considered the King of Demons but is not a name in super common use.

Lucifer

This means “the one who brings the light” and is not a demon but was a reference to the planet Venus in the book of Isaiah in a rebuke of the King of Babylon.

אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָּׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־גּוֹיִֽם:

It says “How you have fallen from heavan star of dawn (Venus) you have been cut down to earth oh ruler of nations”

The word used was ben shachar בֶּן־שָּׁ֑חַר which means son of dawn which meant in those times the planet Venus.

“How you have fallen from heaven,
O brighstar[a], son of the dawn![b]
How you are cut down to the earth,
you who made the nations prostrate!”(Tree of Life version)

This was talking about the pride of king Babylon and that he would be humiliated and fall to the lowest parts of earth.This is not about a angel who fell from heaven because of pride.That theory came from the book by John Milton “Paradise Lost” where he tries to connect the vision from Revelation with the vision in Isaiah.

Revelations 12:7-9 KJV

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”

Nowhere does it say that the dragon who was cast out was named Lucifer,Lucifer came from when the Bible was translated into Latin and that was the best phrasing of son of the dawn.They would not give a personal name for the King of demons because people would abuse it.I think it is in the Talmud somewhere but I don’t know the Talmud well anyway and I would not reveal it anyway for fear of abuse.Read all of Isaiah chapter 14 for full context in your favorite translation.That isn’t to say there was not angels who rebelled or that there is not a King of Demons but that Isaiah 14 is not talking about that.

Lilit/Lilith

This means “of the night” from the word Laylah meaning night in Hebrew.In the Zohar parashat Vayikra 45:321 it says Lilit/Lilith may have come from the word y’lalah meaning to wail or cry.This could make because in Isaiah Lilith is called a screech owl.Lilith may also have connection with the Sumerian goddess Lilu which was a ancient Akkadian word for spirit or demon.

The story of Lilith being Adams first wife and who wanted to be dominant and when she was told she could not be dominant she rebelled against Adam.As it goes she was cast out and became associated with infant death,SIDS,crib death etc…

That story is from the Alpha Bet of Ben Sirach a early medieval Aramaic Rabbinical text.If you want to read the full story it is in the Alpha Bet of Ben Sirach I think Amazon has a Hebrew addition of it.

Askhara אסכרא

Another female demon but not very much is really known about her.

Astiriya  עסטיריא

A chief of many fiends.

Taskifah טסקיפה

Chief of beastiality and other sexual things.

Samael סמאל

No relation to the name Samuel it’s not spelled in the same way in Hebrew at all,Samuel in Hebrew is Sh’muel ,so totally different.It is said in the mystical Jewish tradition that Samael was the evil spirit to posses the snake and decieve Adam and Eve.

Sitra Achra סִטְרָא אַחְרָא

This means “the other side” or that is the entire realm of evil.

If you have any further question just put them in the comments.


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