Wrong Translation of the Morning Star
About Jesus being the Morning Star, the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible says: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).
The New International Version (NIV) says that Satan is the morning star, “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12).
Why are both Christ and Satan referred to as the “morning star”?
The New International Version (NIV) gives the wrong translation to Isaiah 14:12 by referring to Satan as the morning star. Thankfully, most of all the other Bible versions give the correct translation in reference to Satan in Isaiah 14:12 as seen in the following list:
New Living Translation – “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.”
English Standard Version – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!”
Berean Standard Bible – “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.”
King James Bible – “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!”
New King James Version – “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!”
New Americana Standard Bible – “How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations!”
NASB 1995 – “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!”
NASB 1977 – “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!”
Legacy Standard Bible – “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!”
American Standard Version – “How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!”
Aramaic Bible in Plain English – “How you have fallen from Heaven! Wail at dawn! You are fallen into the ground, Infamous One of the nations!”
Brenton Septuagint Translation – “How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven! He that sent orders to all the nations is crushed to the earth.”
Douay-Rheims Bible – “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations?”
English Revised Version – “How art thou fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst lay low the nations!”
Satan – Son of Morning
In Isaiah 14:12, the word Lucifer in Hebrew is Helel, which means “shining one.” Lucifer comes from the Latin Vulgate, which means “light bearer.” This term in Isaiah was identified with Satan by Tertullian, Jerome, and other early Christian Church fathers till the Middle Ages and down to our time. All these terms seem to reflect the concept of the high position Satan once held in heaven.
Of course, this description is given to Satan before his fall as the head of the angelic hosts (Ezekiel 28:12–19). In the New Testament, Jesus referred to Satan’s fall as “lightening from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Without a doubt, none of these terms is a proper name, rather they are attributive terms showing the high state from which Lucifer fell.
Christ – The Morning Star
In Revelation 22:16 and 2:28, Jesus is referred to as the “Morning Star.” Also, the apostle Peter gave Him the same title, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). “Morning Star” is probably taken from the prophecy of Balaam that referred to the great Messiah (Numbers 24:17).
Morning Star in Greek is Phōsphoros which means light bearer. Christ is the “light of the world” (John 8:12; John 1:4). Not only is He the light; He is also the life (John 11:25; 14:6; 1:4). As the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16), He gives life to those that receive Him. “He that hath the Son hath life” (1 John 5:12). “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11).
Christ is ever ready to bring spiritual light to His people in times of need (Malachi 4:2; Luke 1:78, 79; Revelation 2:28; 22:16). And He is the only Source of our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). He came to this earth that men “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
