Mistaken Identity

Why I use the Authorised Version, Reason .7

Mistaken Identity


I wonder has someone ever mixed you up with another person? Perhaps a stranger in the street said hello to you and called you by another name? It could be embarrassing for the one making the mistake and funny to you. There are of course times when mistaken identity can be more serious. I can recall during the troubles in Northern Ireland from time to time you would hear of terrorists shooting someone dead to have it revealed later that they shot the wrong guy. Mistaken Identity!

We come across a case of mistaken identity in some of the modern versions of the Bible. In Isaiah chapter 14 were read of Satan’s fall from his exalted position in heaven. In the Hebrew text in this passage we find the use of the word ‘heylel’ and it is the only use of the word in the Hebrew Old Testament and is tranlated as 'Lucifer' in the AV.

הֵילֵל= heylel = light bearer, LUCIFER

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! Isaiah 14 v12 AV

The AV translators rendered the word LUCIFER, which means what the word is saying, ‘light bearer’. This word Lucifer is derived from the Latin language and is similar to the Greek word ‘Lucas’ or the English name ‘Luke’. This word has in fact really become one of the names by which we identify Satan and worshippers of Satan are often referred to as Luciferians. However, if we are to look at the same scripture in the NIV for example we do not find the word Lucifer but we see the title ‘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! NIV Ditto NASB, CEV & NCV

Now this is where the case of mistaken identity becomes apparent. If you are a student of the Bible you will have come across this term ‘morning star’ before. In Revelation chapter 22 it is used as a description of the Lord Jesus Christ.

‘I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.’ Revelation 22 v16

Worse still the NIV agrees. So in the NIV in Revelation 22 the ‘morning star’ is clearly identifiable as the Lord Jesus but in Isaiah 14 the same person ‘morning star’ is identified as someone that fell from Heaven. So which is it? The NASB, CEV & NCV share in the confusion.

Some may argue that the use of the Latin based word ‘Lucifer’ to translate ‘heylel’ (which essentially means the same thing) by the AV translators was not the best choice. That may or may not be the case but now that the word Lucifer is so bound up with the person of Satan and the title ‘Morning Star’ is so bound up with the person of Christ it was unwise at best for the translators of these new versions to give both the Lord Jesus and Satan the same title. Once again I find myself wondering, is it a lack of wisdom or is there something more sinister going on.


I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.

He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.