Greek word · G1141

δαιμονιώδης

daimoniōdēs

demonic

'Demon-like, of the nature of a demon, coming from demons'. It is very rare. Its only New Testament use is here, and outside the NT BDAG cites only a few later witnesses (e.g. Symmachus's Greek translation of Ps 90[91]:6 and a scholion, an ancient marginal note, on Aristophanes).

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δαιμονιώδης, -ες

(δαιμόνιον, εἶδος), [in Sm.: Psalm 91:6 * ;]

demon-like: James 3:15 (Cremer, 171).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of James 3:15

Range of meaning

'Demon-like, of the nature of a demon, coming from demons'. It is very rare. Its only New Testament use is here, and outside the NT BDAG cites only a few later witnesses (e.g. Symmachus's Greek translation of Ps 90[91]:6 and a scholion, an ancient marginal note, on Aristophanes). The -ōdēs ending usually means 'having the character of', so 'demon-like'. In context it also implies demonic origin.

Against the English

KJV 'devilish' now often means 'mischievous' or 'naughty' ('a devilish grin'), which is far too light. 'Demonic' (BSB, NIV, ESV, WEB) is right. YLT 'demon-like' keeps the nuance of the word's ending.

How it drifted

'Devilish' weakened in everyday English to a playful word for roguishness.

Used elsewhere in the period

BDAG s.v.; James's wider letter: demons 'believe and shudder' (2:19), the tongue is 'set on fire by Gehenna' (3:6), 'resist the devil' (4:7). Jewish texts of the period link envy and strife with evil spirits: the Qumran 'Two Spirits' teaching (1QS 3–4) and Testament of Simeon 2–4 (envy as a work of the spirit of deceit, Beliar).

Similar words

Where it appears

James · 1

  1. James 3:15 δαιμονιώδης. demonic.

    Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

    Here: 'Demon-like' or 'of demonic character'. The source and nature of this wisdom are traced to the realm of evil spirits. It is the sharpest of the three words and the last in the series.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.