Devil

(Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev. 2:10; Zech. 3:1). He is called also “the accuser of the brethen” (Rev. 12:10). In Lev. 17:7 the word “devil” is the translation of the Hebrew sair, meaning a “goat” or “satyr” (Isa. 13:21; 34:14), alluding to the wood-daemons, the objects of idolatrous worship among the heathen. In Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 it is the translation of Hebrew shed, meaning lord, and idol, regarded by the Jews as a “demon,” as the word is rendered in the Revised Version. In the narratives of the Gospels regarding the “casting out of devils” a different Greek word (daimon) is used. In the time of our Lord there were frequent cases of demoniacal possession (Matt. 12:25-30; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:35; 10:18, etc.).

(slanderer). The name describes Satan as slandering God to man and man to God. The former work is of course, a part of his great work of temptation to evil and is not only exemplified but illustrated as to its general nature and tendency by the narrative of Gen. 3. The other work, the slandering or accusing men before God, is the imputation of selfish motives, (Job 1:9,10) and its refutation is placed in the self-sacrifice of those “who loved not their own lives unto death.” [Satan; Demon]

DEV'IL (slanderer). This word (from the Greek diabolos) is sometimes applied to very wicked men or women, John 6:70 (Judas Iscariot); Acts 13:10; 2 Tim 3:3; Tit 2:3, and translated "devil" or "false accusers," but usually it denotes the one most subtle and malignant of the evil spirits, and the great enemy of God and man. It corresponds to the Hebrew Satan ("adversary"), which is also used in the N.T. Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:3. Satan can assume a character quite opposite to his real one, and hence he is said by Paul to transform himself into an "angel of light," 2 Cor 11:14. Although there is only one devil, our English version often speaks of "casting out devils" and of persons "possessed with devils" —e.g. Matt 4:24. The word is not the same as that applied to Satan, but means "demons" or "evil spirits." It is common to call these afflicted people demoniacs. Three views are held upon the demoniacal possessions: That the possession of the devil symbolizes the prevalence of evil in the world, the casting out of the devils by our Lord, his conquest over that evil power by his doctrine and his life. This theory of course gives up the historic character of the narratives. That the demoniacs were not really under the power of demons; but inasmuch as it was commonly believed they were, our Lord and the evangelists spoke to them and of them in this fashion. They were merely persons suffering unusual diseases of body and mind, especially epilepsy, melancholy, insanity. The advocates of this view present three arguments:(1) The symptoms of the "possessed" were frequently those of bodily disease — dumbness. Matt 9:32; blindness. Matt 12:22; epilepsy, Mark 9:17-27 — or those seen in cases of ordinary insanity. Matt 8:28. (2) "To have a devil" seems to be equivalent to to be "mad," John 7:20; John 8:48; Num 10:20. (3) There is no such thing to-day as "demoniacal possession," but there are frequent cases similar to those recorded. Hence the language is popular, and not exact. That there were persons actually possessed by demons — such possession manifesting itself in the forms of bodily and mental disease. Our Lord really cast out demons. This theory has in its support:(1) The plain meaning of the text. It is the most natural interpretation. The demons are plainly distinguished from the persons whom they possess; they have a separate consciousness; they know Jesus, and look forward with trembling to the judgment-day; they pass from one person to another, or even into a herd of swine. (2) It accords with the Scripture notion of the malignity of Satan that he should make a special exhibition of his power against Jesus. (3) It explains the confessions of our Lord's divinity which imply superhuman knowledge. (4) It renders intelligible the crucial narrative of the man among the tombs, Mark 5:1-20. The other theories either deny the fact or give a forced interpretation. (5) It vindicates the truthfulness of Jesus, which the other theories impugn. He not only addressed the patients as "possessed," Luke 4:35, but distinctly linked demoniacal possession with the evil one. Matt 12:25-30; Luke 10:18.

DEV'IL (slanderer). This word (from the Greek diabolos) is sometimes applied to very wicked men or women, John 6:70 (Judas Iscariot); Acts 13:10; 2 Tim 3:3; Tit 2:3, and translated "devil" or "false accusers," but usually it denotes the one most subtle and malignant of the evil spirits, and the great enemy of God and man. It corresponds to the Hebrew Satan ("adversary"), which is also used in the N.T. Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:3. Satan can assume a character quite opposite to his real one, and hence he is said by Paul to transform himself into an "angel of light," 2 Cor 11:14. Although there is only one devil, our English version often speaks of "casting out devils" and of persons "possessed with devils" —e.g. Matt 4:24. The word is not the same as that applied to Satan, but means "demons" or "evil spirits." It is common to call these afflicted people demoniacs. Three views are held upon the demoniacal possessions: That the possession of the devil symbolizes the prevalence of evil in the world, the casting out of the devils by our Lord, his conquest over that evil power by his doctrine and his life. This theory of course gives up the historic character of the narratives. That the demoniacs were not really under the power of demons; but inasmuch as it was commonly believed they were, our Lord and the evangelists spoke to them and of them in this fashion. They were merely persons suffering unusual diseases of body and mind, especially epilepsy, melancholy, insanity. The advocates of this view present three arguments:(1) The symptoms of the "possessed" were frequently those of bodily disease — dumbness. Matt 9:32; blindness. Matt 12:22; epilepsy, Mark 9:17-27 — or those seen in cases of ordinary insanity. Matt 8:28. (2) "To have a devil" seems to be equivalent to to be "mad," John 7:20; John 8:48; Num 10:20. (3) There is no such thing to-day as "demoniacal possession," but there are frequent cases similar to those recorded. Hence the language is popular, and not exact. That there were persons actually possessed by demons — such possession manifesting itself in the forms of bodily and mental disease. Our Lord really cast out demons. This theory has in its support:(1) The plain meaning of the text. It is the most natural interpretation. The demons are plainly distinguished from the persons whom they possess; they have a separate consciousness; they know Jesus, and look forward with trembling to the judgment-day; they pass from one person to another, or even into a herd of swine. (2) It accords with the Scripture notion of the malignity of Satan that he should make a special exhibition of his power against Jesus. (3) It explains the confessions of our Lord's divinity which imply superhuman knowledge. (4) It renders intelligible the crucial narrative of the man among the tombs, Mark 5:1-20. The other theories either deny the fact or give a forced interpretation. (5) It vindicates the truthfulness of Jesus, which the other theories impugn. He not only addressed the patients as "possessed," Luke 4:35, but distinctly linked demoniacal possession with the evil one. Matt 12:25-30; Luke 10:18.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind. [Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke iv. 2. That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. Rev. xii. 9.

2. An evil spirit; a demon. A dumb man possessed with a devil. Matt. ix. 32.

3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil Glendower." "The devil drunkenness." Shak. Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil John vi. 70.

4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation. [Low] The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a timepleaser. Shak. The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, But wonder how the devil they got there. Pope.

5. A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper. Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. Sir W. Scott.

6. A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc. Blue devils. See under Blue. -- Cartesian devil. See under Cartesian. -- Devil bird (Zoöl.), one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and E. remifer), believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery. -- Devil may care, reckless, defiant of authority; -- used adjectively. Longfellow. -- Devil's apron (Bot.), the large kelp (Laminaria saccharina, and L. longicruris) of the Atlantic ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat like an apron. -- Devil's coachhorse. (Zoöl.) (a) The black rove beetle (Ocypus olens). [Eng.] (b) A large, predacious, hemipterous insect (Prionotus cristatus); the wheel bug. [U.S.] -- Devil's darning-needle. (Zoöl.) See under Darn, v. t. -- Devil's fingers, Devil's hand (Zoöl.), the common British starfish (Asterias rubens); -- also applied to a sponge with stout branches. [Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.] -- Devil's riding-horse (Zoöl.), the American mantis (Mantis Carolina). -- The Devil's tattoo, a drumming with the fingers or feet. "Jack played the Devil's tattoo on the door with his boot heels." F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.). -- Devil worship, worship of the power of evil; -- still practiced by barbarians who believe that the good and evil forces of nature are of equal power. -- Printer's devil, the youngest apprentice in a printing office, who runs on errands, does dirty work (as washing the ink rollers and sweeping), etc. "Without fearing the printer's devil or the sheriff's officer." Macaulay. -- Tasmanian devil (Zoöl.), a very savage carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus, or Diabolus, ursinus). -- To play devil with, to molest extremely; to ruin. [Low]

Part of speech: verb (v.)

1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.

2. To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper. A deviled leg of turkey. W. Irving. deviled egg a hard-boiled egg, sliced into halves and with the yolk removed and replaced with a paste, usually made from the yolk and mayonnaise, seasoned with salt and/or spices such as paprika.