Demon
Excerpt
The English transliteration of a Greek term (daimōn) originally referring to any one of numerous, vaguely defined spirit beings, either good or bad. In the nt they are understood as evil spirits, opposed to God and God’s people. In the kjv, the term is regularly translated ‘devil,’ a word that appears in the rsv only as the translation of a different Greek term meaning ‘accuser’ or ‘slanderer’(diabolos). It is used as a virtual synonym for ‘Satan.’
In the ancient world, there was widespread belief in spiritual powers or beings that existed in addition to the well-known gods and goddesses. These beings were not understood as necessarily evil, though some might be. The idea that many or even all such beings were allied with the forces of darkness and wickedness only came into focus, probably under the influence of Persian thought, during the intertestamental period of Judaism. More
Achtemeier, Paul J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. Harper’s Bible Dictionary 1985 : 217. Print.
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