διάβολ-ος G1228
The Devil, Satan as supreme adversary of God; also adjectival: slanderous, given to malicious accusation
Derived from the verb διαβάλλω ('to throw across, accuse falsely'), this word carries two distinct uses in the New Testament. In 35 of its 38 occurrences it functions as a quasi-proper noun for Satan, the supreme adversary — rendered uniformly as 'devil' (English), 'diablo' (Spanish), 'Teufel' (German), 'شيطان/إبليس' (Arabic), and '마귀' (Korean). In three Pastoral Epistle passages, however, it reverts to its original adjectival force, describing human beings who are 'slanderous' or given to malicious gossip, a usage that the multilingual evidence sharply distinguishes from the proper-noun sense.
2. slanderous, given to malicious accusation (adjective of persons) — Adjectival: slanderous, given to malicious accusation against others. Restricted to the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim 3:11; 2 Tim 3:3; Titus 2:3), where it describes human character flaws — women who must not be 'slanderers' and people in the last days who will be 'slanderous.' Spanish distinguishes this clearly with 'calumniadoras/calumniadores' versus 'diablo' for the proper noun, confirming the semantic split. 3×
AR["ثالِباتٍ","ذَوي-بُهْتانٍ","نَمّاماتٍ"]·ben["অপবাদক","অপবাদক,","অপবাদকারী,"]·DE["Teufel"]·EN["slanderers"]·FR["diable"]·heb["מַלְשִׁינִים","מַלְשִׁינוֹת","מַלְשִׁינוֹת,"]·HI["चुगलखोर","दोशि,","निन्दक,"]·ID["pemfitnah","pemfitnah,"]·IT["diavolo"]·jav["mitenah,","tukang-mitenah,"]·KO["중상하는,","중상하는-자들"]·PT["caluniadoras","caluniadoras,"]·RU["клеветники","клеветницам","клеветницами"]·ES["calumniadoras","calumniadores"]·SW["wasingiziaji"]·TR["iftira-atan,","iftira-eden"]·urd["الزام-لگانے-والی","تہمت-لگانے-والیاں","تہمت-لگانے-والے"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. the Devil, Satan (proper name) — The Devil as a personal spiritual being, the supreme adversary of God and humanity. Used as a substantive proper noun across the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles, uniformly translated 'devil/diablo/Teufel/diable' in European languages and with dedicated terms in Asian and Middle Eastern languages (Hindi शैतान, Korean 마귀, Arabic إبليس). Key passages include the temptation narrative (Matt 4:1–11) and Jesus' identification of the devil as a murderer and liar from the beginning (John 8:44). 35×
AR["إبليسَ","إبليسُ","إبليسِ","إِبليسُ","إِبليسِ","إِبلِيسُ","إِبْليسَ","إِبْلِيسَ","إِبْلِيسُ","شَيْطَانٌ"]·ben["দিয়াবল","দিয়াবল,","দিয়াবলকে","দিয়াবলস","দিয়াবলের","দিয়াবলের-জন্য","দিয়াবলের।"]·DE["Teufel"]·EN["devil"]·FR["diable"]·heb["הַמַּשְׁחִית","הַשָּׂטָן","מַשְׁחִית","שָּׂטָן","שָׂטָן"]·HI["शैतअन","शैतान","शैतान-का","शैतान-के-द्वारा","शैतान-को","शैतान-ने"]·ID["Iblis","iblis","iblis,","iblis.","iblis:","itu"]·IT["diavolo"]·jav["Iblis","Iblis,","Iblis.","Iblis;","iblis","iblis;"]·KO["마귀","마귀-가","마귀-는","마귀-에-의해","마귀-에게","마귀-의","마귀가","마귀를","마귀를,","마귀이다"]·PT["diabo","diabo.","diabo:"]·RU["диавол","диавол,","диавола","диавола.","диавола:","диавола;","диаволу","диаволу,","дьявол"]·ES["diablo"]·SW["Ibilisi","ibilisi","shetani"]·TR["iblis","iblise","İblis","İblis'i","İblis'in","şeytan","şeytana"]·urd["ابلیس","ابلیس-نے","ابلیس-کے-لیے","ابلیس:","ابلیس،","ابلیس۔","اِبلیس","اِبلیس-","اِبلیس؛","شیطان","شیطان٬"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διάβολ-ος, ον, slanderous, backbiting, γραῦς Refs 4th c.BC+: superlative -ώτατοςRefs 5th c.BC+; διάβολόν τι, aliquid invidiae, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II substantive, slanderer, Refs 5th c.BC+; enemy, LXX: hence, = Sâtân,Refs; the Devil, NT __III adverb -λως injuriously, invidiously, Refs 5th c.BC+