Lucifer

Brilliant star, a title given to the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:12) to denote his glory.

(light-bearer), found in (Isaiah 14:12) coupled with the epithet “son of the morning,” clearly signifies a “bright star,” and probably what we call the morning star. In this passage it is a symbolical representation of the king of Babylon in his splendor and in his fall. Its application, from St. Jerome downward, to Satan in his fall from heaven arises probably from the fact that the Babylonian empire is in Scripture represented as the type of tyrannical and self idolizing power, and especially connected with the empire of the Evil One in the Apocalypse.

LU'CIFER. This word, signifying "light-giver," occurs but once in our Bible, Isa 14:12, and is then applied to the king of Babylon to indicate his glory as that of a morning star, or, figuratively, "a son of the morning." Tertullian and some others suppose the passage to relate to the fall of Satan, and hence the term is now usually applied in that way, though, as it seems, without sufficient warrant.

bringing light

LU'CIFER. This word, signifying "light-giver," occurs but once in our Bible, Isa 14:12, and is then applied to the king of Babylon to indicate his glory as that of a morning star, or, figuratively, "a son of the morning." Tertullian and some others suppose the passage to relate to the fall of Satan, and hence the term is now usually applied in that way, though, as it seems, without sufficient warrant. LU'CIUS. A kinsman of St. Paul, Rom 15:21, and, according to tradition, bishop of Cenchraea, from which place the Epistle to the Romans was written. He is perhaps identical with — Lucius of Cyrene, a Christian teacher in Antioch. Acts 13:1.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. The planet Venus, when appearing as the morning star; -- applied in Isaiah by a metaphor to a king of Babylon. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations ! Is. xiv. 12. Tertullian and Gregory the Great understood this passage of Isaiah in reference to the fall of Satan; in consequence of which the name Lucifer has since been applied to, Satan. Kitto.

2. Hence, Satan. How wretched Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favors! . . . When he falls, he falls like Lucifer, Never to hope again. Shak.

3. A match made of a sliver of wood tipped with a combustible substance, and ignited by friction; -- called also lucifer match, and locofoco. See Locofoco.

4. A genus of free-swimming macruran Crustacea, having a slender body and long appendages.