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הֵילֵל

𐤄𐤉𐤋𐤋

hêylêl

H1966 noun

SILEX Entry

Root הלל to shine, to be bright, to radiate

Definition

A luminous celestial body or shining one, commonly referencing the morning star (Venus) in poetic and metaphorical language. In Isaiah 14:12, refers metaphorically to a fallen figure likened to a brilliant planet or star, interpreted in context as a taunt against a Babylonian ruler. The term conveys brilliance, radiance, and the sense of something that shines or exalts itself in brightness but is destined for downfall.

Semantic Range

shining one, morning star (Venus), one displaying radiance, a figure exalted by brilliance and destined to fall

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root הלל (h-l-l), which means 'to shine, be bright.' The form הֵילֵל (hêylêl) functions as a substantive, likely meaning 'shining one' or 'bright one.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

הֵילֵל appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah 14:12), within a poetic passage depicting the hubris and subsequent fall of a Babylonian monarch, metaphorically described as 'the morning star' or 'shining one, son of dawn.' The association with Venus, the prominent morning star, is well-attested in ancient Near Eastern literature as an image of ascent and subsequent downfall. The later tradition of rendering hêylêl as 'Lucifer' is a Latin translational development (from the Vulgate), not a feature of the Hebrew text, and should not be retrojected into the biblical period. There is no evidence in the original context that hêylêl refers to a supernatural, demonic, or angelic being; rather, it is a metaphor for imperial hubris and collapse. The word is distinct from similar terms like כוכב ('star') and does not denote an actual heavenly being but is a poetical or symbolic term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from הָלַל (in the sense of brightness); the morning-star; lucifer.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

הלל (h-l-l) — to shine, to be bright, to radiate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1947 הוֹלֵלָה acts of folly
H1948 הוֹלֵלוּת reckless foolishness
H1974 הִלּוּל festal rejoicings
H1984 הָלַל I will extol
H1985 הִלֵּל Praise-One

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1966-01 הֵילֵ֣ל heylel HNcmsa O shining one shining one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1966-01 Isaiah 14:12 הֵילֵ֣ל heylel HNcmsa O shining one shining one
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