2 Peter 1:19

THE SCRIPTURE CONCERNED

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and THE DAY STAR arise in your hearts:” (2 Peter 1:19 AV)

THE MEANING PEOPLE DRAW FROM THIS TRANSLATION

People understand that the expression "the day star" is a reference to Jesus Christ, because Revelation 2:28 and Revelation 22:16 use the very similar expression "the morning star" to also refer to Jesus Christ. So the identity of "the day star" in this verse can be easily and correctly understood. People are unlikely to infer an incorrect identity to this "day star" in 2 Peter 1:19.

THE MISTRANSLATION

The Greek word for "star" is "aster", from which we get words like "astronomy". The Greek word for "day" is "hemera". Now the Greek text of 2 Peter 1:19 does NOT contain any word that means either "day" or "star" or "morning" ... NOTHING!

What 2 Peter 1:19 does have is the Greek word "Phosphoros", which has been translated into English as "the day star". However, it is absolutely and completely and PERMANENTLY WRONG to translate "Phosphoros" as "day star"! The Greek word "Phosphoros" has NOTHING AT ALL to do with either "day" or "star" or "morning", nothing at all!

The Greek word "Phosphoros" is 100% identical in meaning to the Latin name "LUCIFER", and it is translated correctly in Jerome's Latin Vulgate Translation. Here it is:

et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem cui bene facitis adtendentes quasi lucernae lucenti in caliginoso loco donec dies inlucescat ET LUCIFER oriatur in cordibus vestris (2 Peter 1:19 VULGATE)

So Jerome in his translation CORRECTLY refers to Jesus Christ as "LUCIFER"!

Every single competent translator of the Greek New Testament into English KNOWS with absolute certainty that "Phosphoros" means "Light-bringer" and NOT "day star", even as they all KNOW that the Latin "lucifer" means "light-bringer" and not "day star". They all KNOW that Jerome translated "Phosphoros" CORRECTLY into Latin as "Lucifer", but they have simply REFUSED TO BE HONEST!

The correct meaning of "Phosphoros" in 2 Peter 1:19 is an embarrassment to them, because they have ALREADY committed themselves to the incorrect translation of the Hebrew "heylel" in Isaiah 14:12 as "lucifer", and that Scripture is a very clear reference to Satan. So all the translators understood very clearly that it would be inappropriate to assign THE EXACT SAME NAME to both, Jesus Christ and to Satan. It doesn't make sense to in the Old Testament call Satan "lucifer", and to then in the New Testament call Jesus Christ "Lucifer". That would obviously be wrong, besides being confusing.

So the English translators decided that ONLY ONE BEING should have the name "lucifer", either Satan or Jesus Christ. In that thinking they were correct. However, they were INCORRECT in giving that name to Satan and withholding that name from Jesus Christ. The correct thing would have been for them to give the name "Lucifer" to Jesus Christ in 2 Peter 1:19, and to withhold it from Satan in Isaiah 14:12. Instead, they should have correctly translated the Hebrew "heylel" in Isaiah 14:12 as "arrogant boaster", because that is precisely what God means with the word "heylel".

To soften their dishonesty in hiding the true meaning of "Phosphoros" in 2 Peter 1:19, the translators opted to use another biblical name for Jesus Christ, one that is used in the Book of Revelation, the name "day star". In that way they could soothe their consciences by telling themselves that people would STILL unmistakably recognize this as a reference to Jesus Christ. But "day star" is NOT what 2 Peter 1:19 actually says!

THE SOURCE OF THIS WRONG TRANSLATION

Jerome in his Latin Vulgate Translation had also used the word "lucifer" to mean "dawn" in Job 11:17 and in Psalm 110:3 (which is Psalm 109:3 in the Vulgate). So the English translators latched onto this meaning of "dawn" for "lucifer", and from there it was a small step to infer "day star" into this word. It was just so convenient that Revelation 2:28 and Revelation 22:16 already use a very similar name for Jesus Christ.

THE CORRECT TRANSLATION

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and Lucifer, the Light-bringer, arise in your hearts: (2 Peter 1:19)

THE MEANING OF THIS CORRECT TRANSLATION

It is Jesus Christ who is, and always has been, "the Light-bringer". Satan has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9), and he has deceived humanity into believing that he "used to have" the name that really belongs to Jesus Christ, in that way disguising himself as "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). To more effectively cover up his deception in Isaiah 14:12, Satan has coaxed translators into disguising the real meaning of 2 Peter 1:19.

IN SUMMARY

Satan has never at any time been "a light-bringer". Rather, according to Jesus Christ, Satan has been a murderer and a liar "FROM THE BEGINNING" (see John 8:44), attributes that are the complete opposite of being "a light-bringer". If Jesus Christ really meant what He said in John 8:44, then it is IMPOSSIBLE for Satan to ever have had the name "lucifer", or any translation into any language of that name.

For more information see also the article on Isaiah 14:12, and also my article on "The Name Lucifer" in the main section of this website.

Frank W. Nelte