1. Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the origin of the word “devil”?

Matthew 4:1 (ESV)

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

The Greek word is diabolos, which means blasphemer. When Matthew speaks of the devil in Matthew 4:1, he uses this Greek form. When Jesus speaks of the devil in Matthew 4:10, however, he uses the Hebrew form.1

The Greek for the word devil is diabolos (Matthew 4:1),  which means blasphemer. In Matthew 4:10, however, Jesus uses the Hebrew form for the word.