De Moor IX:21: Terms for Evil Angels, Part 2

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Among whom there is one especially eminent by the name of, 1.  Satan, which sometimes indeed appears to be taken for whatever Evil Angel, for example, Matthew 12:26; but it is commonly believed that it ought rather to be taken for the principal Leader of evil spirits, 1 Chronicles 21:1, provided that in this passage an Evil Angel, not a human adversary, is being discussed, which latter explanation VRIEMOET prefers, Adnotationibus ad Dicta classica Veteris Testamenti, tome 3, chapter XIV, pages 78, 79; Job 1:6-9; Zechariah 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Revelation 12:9; 20:2:  whence JUSTIN Martyr, Apologia II, page 71, wrote:  Παρ’ ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἀρχηγέτης τῶν κακῶν δαιμόνων, ὄφις καλεῖται, καὶ σατανᾶς, καὶ διάβολος, ὡς καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων συγγραμμάτων ἐρευνήσαντες μαθεῖν δύνασθε, for among us the leader of the wicked demons is called the serpent, and Satan, and the devil, as ye are able to learn by looking into our writings.  שָׂטָן/Satan is a Hebrew Name, but which is preserved in the Greek text of the New Testament together with certain other Hebrew terms, where it is once written σατᾶν,[1] but usually σατανᾶς.  Σατανᾶς is not formed, as JUSTIN Martyr thinks, according to the rudiments of the Hebrew tongue, Dialogue with Trypho, page 331, from σατᾶ/sata, as if from the root שָׂטָה, to divert, to turn aside:  τὸ γὰρ σατὰ, or σατᾶν, τῇ Ἰουδαίων καὶ Σύρων φωνῇ ἀποστάτης ἐστί; for sata or satan, in the speech of the Jews and Syrians signifies an apostate; and from νᾶς/nas, which signifies ὄφιν/serpent, in which indeed there is regard to the Hebraic נָחָשׁ/nahash/serpent.  But it is from the root שָׂטָן/ satan, to hate, to persecute or oppose with the utmost hatred; and so it denotes in general a bitter Enemy/Hater, who busies himself to do hurt in whatever way, whether with words or deeds, in which sense it is also used of men; but it is able to designate emphatically Evil Angels and κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν, pre-eminently their Prince, who is called ὁ ἀντίδικος, the adversary, of believers, 1 Peter 5:8, to whose salvation he is opposed in every way, while at the same time, as far as he is able, he is opposed to God and His glory, and openly showed himself to be the adversary of Christ, while He was on earth, according to the ancient prophecy in Genesis 3:15.  It is rightly translated ἀντικείμενος/adversary by ORIGEN, JEROME, CHRYSOSTOM, THEOPHYLACT,[2] and ŒCUMENIUS:  Ὁ δ᾽ Ἑβραίων διαλέκτῳ Σατᾶν, καὶ ἑλληνικώτερον ὑπό τινων ὀνομασθεὶς Σατανᾶς, μεταλαμβανόμενος εἰς ἑλλάδα φωνήν ἐστιν ἀντικείμενος, Now, he who in the Hebrew language is named Σατᾶν/Satan, and by some Σατανᾶς/ Satanas in a manner in more keeping with the Greek tongue, when translated into Greek, signifies adversary, in ORIGEN’S book VI contra Celsum, opera, tome 1, page 666:  see our AUTHOR, Exercitationibus Textualibus XXV, Part II, § 11, 12, and Exercitationibus Textualibus XVI, Part IV, § 5.

2.  The Serpent, 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9:  thus the Prince of the evil Angels is both metonymically and metaphorically called, because he, of old lurking under a Serpent properly so called, seduced our first parents; see below, Chapter XV, § 12:  he is more subtil than any serpent,[3] to whom it pertains that after the likeness of a serpent he also lurks and conceals himself, 2 Corinthians 11:14; in addition, like a serpent he spits his venom; finally, after the likeness of the serpent he is cursed above all other creatures.[4]

3.  Beelzebul, βεελζεβοὺλ; thus it is found in the New Testament, in Matthew 12:24[5] and elsewhere,[6] where this name is referred to the Prince of the Evil Angels; in which sense, when Christ was walking the earth, the name βεελζεβοὺλ/Beelzebul appears to have been in common use among the Jews, so that the Lord sometimes changed this term from the received manner of speaking among the Jews, making use of that with the same signification.  It is believed to signify the Lord of dung, from בַּעַל/baal/lord and זֶבֶל/zebel, which among the Jews is dung, filth, whence זַבֵּל/zabbel is to manure, to dung a field.  Now, thus the Jews, having returned from Babylon, are thought to have called the Prince of Demons, in detestation of the idolatry practiced by their fathers, and also Baal-Zebub, with an allusion to this name; thus also testifying that they were persuaded, that as many as worship Idols serve the Devil.  Neither is it hidden from anyone, that also in the Old Testament Idols of contempt and abomination are for that reason frequently called גִּלּוּלִים/dunghills, excremental gods, from גָּלָל/dung, גְּלָלִים/droppings.  That in the name Beelzebul there is an allusion to Beelzebub, the idol of Ekron, is also the observation of our AUTHOR in his Compendio, where nevertheless in the place of μυάγρῳ,[7] which denotes one who hunts and captures mice, is to be read μυιάγρῳ, to indicate one that captures flies, a hunter of flies, from μυῖα/fly, and ἄγρα/hunting.  Of course, ‎בַּעַל זְבוּב, Baal-zebub, was the Idol of Ekron, of which mention is made in 2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6, 16; but that name denotes the Lord of the Flies.  By which title that deity was able to be distinguished, either because under the figure of great Fly it was worshipped and rendered its oracles, as it seems to SANCHEZ;[8] or because the Devil sometimes tormented by flies and thence instilled religious awe, or because he delivered those vexed by flies, either of which pleases SCHMIDT; in which last sense Baal-zebub is the god μυΐαγρος, averting flies.  SCALIGER also thinks that the name Baal-zebub was invented by the Jews, who thus contemptuously names the Idol of Ekron, because his shrine was abounding in Flies because of the multitude and stench of the sacrifices wont to be offered to him; while, on the contrary, in the Jerusalem Temple, with the multitude of victims that were daily slain in it notwithstanding, no Flies were ever seen, which the Jews number among those ten Miracles that they maintain to have been daily in their Temple, and which one may see enumerated in Pirke Aboth,[9] chapter V, § 5,[10] on which see the Commentarium in Surenhusius’ Mischna, tome 4, pages 467, 468; and then, among others, in LUNDIUS’[11] Sanctuariis Judæorum, book II, chapter XXIX, tome I, pages 588, 589.  But REINERUS VOGELSANG opposes, and that not inelegantly, this opinion of Scaliger, and at the same time illustrates the name Baal Zebub, Exercitationibus Theologicis XXIII, § 4, page 631:  Yet there are not wanting, says he, those that dispute that this name was invented by the Jews as a reproach to the idol, from the multitude of insects that infested its sanctuary and sacrifices, by a jocular alteration, in the place of Baal-zebachim, or the Lord of sacrifices,[12] as Scaliger asserts.  For in the Jerusalem temple they deny that flies were ever seen, which would have fed upon the flesh of the sacrificial victims.  But King Ahaziah, when he sent messengers to ask for oracles from the god of Ekron, expressly called him Baal-zebub, 2 Kings 1:2.  But it is not likely, that he wanted to mock that deity, whose response he was desiring concerning the restoration of his health.  So that I have no doubt, that this name for him was common and honorific among his own.  Just as also the Arcadians placated τὸν μυΐαγρον or the hunter of flies with a solemn sacrifice yearly.  But also the Eleans are portrayed as having rendered Jove ἀπόμυιον, or the repeller of flies, propitious by an Olympic contest.  And it has been kept in remembrance, that the Romans venerated Hercules as ἀπόμυιον, the repeller of flies.  But the Jews out of Baal-zebub made Baal-zebul, as if you should call him the dung Lord.  Just as also not merely once in the Scriptures are Idols called גִּלּוּלִים/Gillulim, excrement, dunghills, the most filthy wallowing holes.  Concerning these names VRIEMOET has yet another idea, Thesi Antiquitatum Israeliticarum DXXXVI, DXXXVII, writing:  Baal-zebub of the Philistines, either with Hillerus, from a collation of the Arabic word دب/d-b, to creep/wander/ repel, is able to be inferred to be the guardian of wandering, which was proper to that nation in ancient times migrating from their ancestral lands into Canaan; or, with the other word collated, زب/z-b/penis, could perhaps be said to be Priapus,[13] who is also elsewhere found among the deities of the Easterners.  From either hypothesis you might best explain Beelzebul, which is in the writings of the New Testament, which will be the lord/guardian, either of a fixed habitation after previously uncertain seats, or of impure cohabitation.  Concerning this Prince of Dæmons, consult also COCQUIUS’ Anatomen Hobbesianismi, locus VIII, chapter XV, pages 149, 150, and the many others that are cited by ODÉ, Commentario de Angelis, section VII, chapter II, § 7, page 730, who himself explains Beelzebul as the Lord of the Terminus/ Border, or Lord Terminus,[14] because here and there, wherever they were placing boundary markers in fields, idols were set up and worshipped.[15]

[1] 2 Corinthians 12:7:  “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan (ἄγγελος Σατᾶν) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

[2] Theophylact was an eleventh century Byzantine Archbishop of Ohrid (Bulgaria).  Although he himself was Byzantine by heritage and upbringing, he steadfastly championed the interests of the Bulgarian Church.  He wrote commentaries on the Gospels, Acts, the Pauline Epistles, and the Minor Prophets, showing the influence of Chrysostom in method and matter.

[3] See Genesis 3:1.

[4] Genesis 3:14.

[5] Matthew 12:24:  “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub (Βεελζεβοὺλ/Beelzebul) the prince of the devils.”

[6] Matthew 12:27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19.

[7] Μῦς signifies mouse; ἄγρα, hunting.

[8] Gasper Sanchez (1554-1628) was a Jesuit scholar, serving as Professor of Divinity at Alcala.  He wrote Commentarius et Paraphrasis in Libros Regum, as well as commentaries on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Song of Solomon.

[9] Pirkei Avoth is a tractate of the Mishnah (Jewish oral law), relating ethical sayings of the Rabbis from the third century BC to the third century AD.

[10] Pirkei Avoth, chapter V, § 5:  “Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in the Temple:  (1.)  No woman ever miscarried because of the smell of the sacred flesh; (2.)  the flesh of the sacred offerings never became putrid; (3.)  no fly was ever seen in the slaughter-house; (4.)  no seminal emission ever befell the High Priest on Yom Kippur; (5.)  the rains never extinguished the fire of the wood-pile; (6.)  the wind never scattered the column of smoke; (7.)  no defect was ever found in the Omer offering, the two loaves, or the shewbread; (8.)  the people stood crowded together, yet they prostrated themselves with ample space; (9.)  no snake or scorpion ever harmed anyone in Jerusalem; (10.)  no person ever said to his fellow, ‘The place is too cramped for me to lodge in Jerusalem.’”

[11] Johannes Lundius (1638-1686) was a Lutheran pastor and Hebraist, and expert on the Jewish Temple and worship.

[12] That is, זְבָחִים בַּעַל.

[13] Priapus was the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, and the god of procreation, frequently portrayed with a large, erect phallus.

[14] Terminus was the Roman god of boundaries.

[15] Priapus was a god, not only of fertility, but also of boundaries; and so his statues were sometimes used to mark the borders of fields.