Βελίαρ

Beliar

Definition

Βελίαρ (Beliar) is a name used in the New Testament as a direct reference to Satan, the supreme personification of evil and the adversary of God. It appears only in 2 Corinthians 6:15, where Paul poses the rhetorical question, 'What accord has Christ with Beliar?' Here, Beliar is set in stark opposition to Christ, representing the absolute antithesis of divine goodness and light. The term is synonymous with the more common 'Satan' but carries a specific connotation of worthlessness and lawlessness, derived from its Hebrew root.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the entire New Testament, in 2 Corinthians 6:15. In this context, the Apostle Paul uses it to create a powerful contrast between the kingdom of Christ and the dominion of evil. The usage is polemical and rhetorical, emphasizing the impossibility of fellowship or partnership between believers (who are in Christ) and the realm of Satan (Beliar). It functions as a proper name for the devil within a list of stark opposites (light vs. darkness, Christ vs. Beliar).

Etymology

The Greek Βελίαρ (Beliar) is a transliteration of the Hebrew phrase 'bĕliyyaʿal' (בְּלִיַּעַל), found in the Old Testament. The Hebrew term is a compound, often understood as 'bĕlî' (without) and 'yaʿal' (worth or profit), thus meaning 'worthlessness' or 'wickedness.' Over time, especially in Jewish intertestamental literature, this abstract concept of wickedness became personified as a name for Satan or a chief demon, which is the sense adopted by Paul in the New Testament.

Semantic Range

This term is theologically significant as it underscores the biblical worldview of a cosmic spiritual conflict between God and a personal, evil adversary. Understanding 'Beliar' enriches the reading of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 by highlighting the absolute moral and spiritual incompatibility between the followers of Christ and the dominion of Satan. It reinforces the doctrine of the devil as a real, personal being opposed to God, and the call for believers to be separate from all forms of evil and idolatry.

By the first century, in Second Temple Jewish thought (as seen in texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls), 'Belial' was a well-established name for the arch-fiend, the leader of the forces of darkness opposed to God and His angelic host. Paul's use of this name would have resonated with his audience, who were familiar with this developed concept of a personified embodiment of evil and lawlessness, making his contrast with Christ immediately powerful and comprehensible.

Σατανᾶς (Satanas, G4567) — The more common Greek name for the adversary, meaning 'accuser' or 'adversary.'; διάβολος (diabolos, G1228) — Meaning 'slanderer' or 'devil,' often used interchangeably with Satan.

Word Details

Scripture References