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Bible Dictionaries
Devil
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Devil, slanderer. A name given to the greatest of evil spirits. He is so called 34 times in the Scriptures. He is called Satan 39 times; Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, 7 times. Matthew 12:24. He is called the angel of the bottomless pit, Abaddon, in Hebrew; Apollyon, in Greek; that is, destroyer, Revelation 9:11; adversary, 1 Peter 5:8; accuser, Revelation 12:10; Belial, Judges 19:23; 2 Corinthians 6:15; deceiver, Revelation 12:9, R. V.; dragon, Revelation 12:7; Revelation 20:2; the god of this world, 2 Corinthians 4:4; the evil one, from whom, in the Lord's prayer, we are to pray to be delivered, Matthew 6:13; Matthew 13:19; Matthew 13:38; Luke 11:4, A. V.; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:10; 1 John 3:12; liar, John 8:44; Lucifer, Isaiah 14:12, A. V., but R. V. reads day star; murderer, John 8:44; prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2; prince of this world, John 12:31; serpent. Genesis 3:1-4; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2; a sinner from the beginning, 1 John 3:8. From the beginning of the world the devil has had a hand, and sometimes a controlling one, in the most important events in the history of man. He tempted Eve, Genesis 3:1; he tried Job, Job 1:7; provoked David to number Israel, 1 Chronicles 21:1; he tempted our Lord in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1; he "entered into Judas," Luke 22:3; he is the deceiver which deceiveth the whole world, Revelation 12:9, etc. "He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8. The time is coming, and may be near at hand, when "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan," shall be bound for a thousand years, "that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season." Revelation 20:2. "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations." Revelation 20:7. The fall and punishment of the devil is recorded. Matthew 25:41; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 3:8; Judges 1:6; Revelation 20:10. The word devil is sometimes applied to a very wicked man or woman. John 6:70; Acts 13:10; and in the Greek of 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3, where the A. V. reads "false accusers."
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Devil'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/d/devil.html. 1893.
