1966. helel

Lexical Summary

helel: "morning star," "shining one," or "Lucifer" (in some translations)

Original Word: הֵילֵל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: heylel
Pronunciation: hay-lale
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-lale')
KJV: lucifer
NASB: star of the morning
Word Origin: [from H1984 (הָלַל - To praise) (in the sense of brightness)]

1. the morning-star

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

lucifer

From halal (in the sense of brightness); the morning-star -- lucifer.

see HEBREW halal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from halal
Definition
a shining one
NASB Translation
star of the morning (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

הֵילֵל Isaiah 14:12 see below הלל.

הִים see הוּם.

הֵילֵל noun masculine appellative shining one, epithet of king of Babylon, בֶּןשָֿׁ֑חַר ׳אֵיךְ נָפַלְתָּ מִשָּׁמַיִם ה Isaiah 14:12 how art thou fallen, shinning one, son of dawn ! i.e. star of the morning. (compare Assyrian muštilil, epithet of (Venus a) morning-star III R Isaiah 57:60 Opp^{JAS 1871, 448} Schr^{SK 1874, 337} COT^{ad. loc}.)

Topical Lexicon

Name and Context

הֵילֵל (Helel) appears once in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 14:12, within an oracle against the king of Babylon. The prophet employs celestial imagery—“day star, son of the dawn”—to depict a proud ruler whose lofty ambitions end in humiliation.

Biblical Occurrence and Immediate Setting

Isaiah 14:4–23 records a taunt against the oppressor of Israel. Verse 12 reads: “How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.” The singular use of הֵילֵל intensifies the literary force of the passage; a brilliant luminary plunges from the skies, mirroring Babylon’s descent from imperial splendor to ruin.

Historical Background

Eighth-century Judah lived under the looming shadow of Mesopotamian power. Isaiah’s satire mocks Babylon’s eventual downfall, a message that would encourage exiles more than a century later (Isaiah 13:1; Isaiah 14:1–3). By portraying the monarch as a fallen star, Isaiah taps into ancient Near Eastern royal ideology that likened kings to heavenly bodies.

Theological Significance

1. Pride Meets Divine Judgment. The passage showcases the immutable principle that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). The arrogant ascent (“I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God,” Isaiah 14:13) is decisively reversed by the Lord’s verdict (“But you will be brought down to Sheol,” Isaiah 14:15).
2. Cosmic Scope of Sin. Though rooted in an historical king, the language transcends any single human figure, hinting at a cosmic rebellion behind earthly tyranny. This prepares the way for later Scripture to identify a personal, supernatural adversary (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:9).
3. Demonstration of Divine Sovereignty. The downfall of הֵילֵל confirms the prophetic assurance that no earthly power can frustrate the Lord’s redemptive purposes for His people (Isaiah 14:24–27).

Intertextual Echoes

• Genesis 3:5—The serpent’s promise, “you will be like God,” parallels the king’s self-exaltation.
• Ezekiel 28:12–19—The lament over the king of Tyre employs Edenic and celestial motifs similar to Isaiah’s oracle.
• Revelation 9:1; 12:7–12—John’s visions of a star cast from heaven and the dragon’s expulsion resonate with הֵילֵל’s fall.

Typological and Prophetic Dimensions

Isaiah’s immediate target is Babylon’s ruler, yet the Spirit inspires language that prefigures the ultimate defeat of Satan. The typology moves from a historical monarch to the spiritual power energizing human oppression, culminating in the eschatological judgment described in Revelation 20:10.

Christological Contrast

Scripture contrasts the false “day star” with the true “bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). Whereas הֵילֵל seeks ascension independent of God and is cast down, Jesus Christ voluntarily descends (Philippians 2:5–8) and is exalted by the Father (Philippians 2:9–11). This antithesis underscores the gospel’s reversal of satanic pride through the humility of the Son.

Patristic and Rabbinic Reception

Early Christian writers, notably Tertullian and Jerome, linked Isaiah 14:12 to Satan’s primordial fall. Rabbinic commentators more often retained the political focus on Babylon while acknowledging mythic overtones. Both traditions recognized the warning against hubris.

Practical Ministry Application

• Preaching. Isaiah 14:12 serves as a cautionary text on pride and the perils of self-exaltation, urging believers to emulate Christ’s humility.
• Counseling. The passage reassures the oppressed that tyrannical powers, whether personal or systemic, cannot indefinitely resist God’s justice.
• Spiritual Warfare. By revealing the end of rebellious spiritual forces, the text fortifies the church’s confidence in Christ’s ultimate victory (Romans 16:20).

Conclusion

הֵילֵל encapsulates the trajectory of pride: dazzling promise, rebellious ascent, catastrophic fall. Isaiah’s single, vivid use of the term crowns a broader biblical testimony—God alone is Most High, and every challenger, human or demonic, will be brought low before His throne.

Forms and Transliterations

הֵילֵ֣ל הילל hê·lêl heiLel hêlêl

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 14:12
HEB: נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־ שָׁ֑חַר
NAS: from heaven, O star of the morning, son
KJV: from heaven, O Lucifer, son
INT: have fallen heaven star son of the dawn

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1966
1 Occurrence

hê·lêl — 1 Occ.