Demon; Demoniac; Demonology

dē ́mon, dē̇-mō ́ni-ak, dē-mon-ol ́ō̇-ji (δαιμόνιον, daimónion, earlier form δαίμων, daímōn = πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον, πονηρόν, pneúma akátharton, ponērón, “demon,” “unclean or evil spirit,” incorrectly rendered “devil” in the King James Version):

The word daimōn or daimonion seems originally to have had two closely related meanings; a deity, and a spirit, superhuman but not supernatural. In the former sense the term occurs in the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalms 106:37; Acts 17:18. The second of these meanings, which involves a general reference to vaguely conceived personal beings akin to men and yet belonging to the unseen realm, leads to the application of the term to the peculiar and restricted class of beings designated “demons” in the New Testament.

An interesting scheme of development has been suggested (by Baudissin and others) in which Biblical demonism is brought through polytheism into connection with primitive animism.

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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia

Keywords: Demon, Demoniac, Demonology, Possessed by a devil, Possessed by a demon, Demon possessed, Demon possession, Possession, Fallen angels, Rebel angels, Devil and his angels, Demon angels, Devil, Epilepsy, Insane, Insanity, Mental illness, Unclean spirit, Unclean demon, Legion, Gadarene demoniac, Mental sickness

Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.

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