Where the Word “Devil” Really Comes From — And Why It’s NOT Hebrew

Greek Origin: διάβολος (diábolos)

• διάβολος (diábolos): slanderer, accuser, one who divides
• διαβάλλω (diabállō): root verb — “to throw across, accuse falsely”
• This term was in Greek literature long before the Bible — anyone who stirred up strife with accusations (not a red, horned monster!)

The Septuagint’s Error

In the Greek Septuagint (LXX) — a translation of the Hebrew Bible around 250 BC — the translators used διάβολος for the Hebrew word שָּׂטָן (satan).

• שָּׂטָן (satan): adversary, accuser, opposer
• Used in passages like Job 1:6 and Zechariah 3:1
• Refers to a role or task — sometimes even a human, not a cosmic enemy
• In Hebrew, satan is never a proper name

When Greek translators chose diábolos, they inserted their own interpretation — shifting “satan” from a testing role under Yhwh’s command into a standalone villain.

❗️What This Created

• A move away from Hebrew thought (function and purpose)
• A new idea of a personalized “Devil”
• Later adopted by Roman and Christian theology
• Eventually turned into “Satan vs. God” — a total distortion

📌 Summary

• “Devil” = Greek διάβολος, not Hebrew.
• Originally meant slanderer or accuser, not a supernatural monster.
• Septuagint mistranslation changed the meaning of שָּׂטָן (satan).
• This helped birth the Christian concept of the Devil — not found in the original Hebrew Scriptures.