Beelzebub

See also: Beëlzebub

English

Alternative forms

• Baalzebub, Belzebuth, Beëlzebub

Etymology

From Latin Beelzebūb, the Vulgate's form of Ancient Greek Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzeboúl) and Hebrew בעל זבוב‎ (ba‘al-z'vúv, “fly-lord”), mentioned in 2 Kings chapter 1 as "the god of Ekron".

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /biːˈɛlzɪbʌb/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbilzɪbʌb/

Proper noun

Beelzebub

1. (biblical) A Canaanite deity worshipped at Ekron.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Matthew, 12:24

     But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

2. (Christianity) Satan, the Devil.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:Satan

Translations

a Semitic deity, another name for the Devil

• Arabic: بَعْل زَبُوب‎ m (baʿl zabūb), بَعْلْزَبُول‎ m (baʿlzabūl)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܒܥܠܕܒܒܐ‎

• Armenian: Բեհեղզեբուղ (Behełzebuł)
• Basque: Beltzebu
• Bengali: বাইলজাবাব (bailjabab)
• Bulgarian: Велзеву́л m (Velzevúl)
• Catalan: Belzebú m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 别西卜 (Biéxībǔ), 巴力西卜 (Bālìxībǔ), 貝爾則步, 贝尔则步 (Bèiěrzébù) (Catholic)

• Dutch: Beëlzebub (nl)
• Esperanto: Belzebubo

• French: Belzébuth (fr) m
• German: Beelzebub (de) m
• Greek: βελζεβούλ (el) m (velzevoúl)

  Ancient: Βεελζεβούλ m (Beelzeboúl)

• Hebrew: בַּעַל זְבוּב‎ m (bá'al zvuv)
• Italian: Belzebù m
• Kazakh: Белзебүл (Belzebül)
• Macedonian: Велзевул m (Velzevul)
• Portuguese: Belzebu m
• Russian: Вельзеву́л (ru) m (Velʹzevúl)
• Spanish: Belcebú (es) m
• Thai: บีเอลซิบับ
• Turkish: Baalzevul
• Turkmen: Beýelzebul
• Welsh: Beelsebwl

Related terms

• Baal

See also

• lord of the flies (a calque of the Hebrew term)

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German

Alternative forms

• Beelzebul

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Beelzebub m (genitive Beelzebubes or Beelzebubs or Beelzebub, plural Beelzebube)

1. (singular only) Beelzebub
   • 1995, “Über Sex kann man nur auf Englisch singen”, in Digital ist Besser, performed by Tocotronic:

     Doch gibt's ein Verlangen zu beschreiben / Den Teufel mit dem Beelzebub vertreiben

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

2. demon, devil

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Latin

Alternative forms

• Beelzebul

Etymology

Translating Ancient Greek Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzeboúl) and Hebrew בעל זבוב‎ (ba‘al-z'būb, “fly-lord”); perhaps a corruption of Beelzebul, meaning Lord of the High Place, with -bul altered to -bub to change the meaning to Lord of the Flies.

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /beˈel.ze.bub/, [beˈɛɫ̪.zɛ.bʊb]

• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /beˈel.d͡ze.bub/, [bɛˈɛl.d͡zɛ.bub]

Proper noun

Beelzebub m (indeclinable)

1. (biblical) the god of the Philistine city of Ekron.
2. (derogatory) Beelzebul

References

• Beelzebub in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Beelzebub in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette