Belial is a Hebrew term, usually understood as "worthlessness" or "wickedness," that appears in the Hebrew Bible in phrases such as "sons of Belial." In the centuries before and after the turn of the era it was personified as a leader of evil forces, and later Christian literature and Western demonology treated Belial as a fallen angel or demon.
Belial at a glance
| Hebrew form | Beliyya'al (often rendered "worthless" or "wicked") |
|---|---|
| Variant spelling | Beliar (Greek texts, including 2 Corinthians 6:15) |
| First attested | Hebrew Bible, e.g. Deuteronomy 13:13 and Judges 19:22 |
| Personified in | Dead Sea Scrolls, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Ascension of Isaiah |
| Literary role | Fallen angel in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) |
| Later demonology | Listed as a king among spirits in the Ars Goetia (17th century) |
Meaning and etymology
The Hebrew word beliyya'al occurs some two dozen times in the Hebrew Bible. Most scholars read it as a compound of beli ("without") and ya'al ("worth" or "use"), giving the sense "worthlessness." Other etymologies have been proposed, including a link with a word for swallowing or with the underworld, and the question remains debated. What is clear is how the word works in context: it describes people and actions that break social and religious order.
Typical biblical phrases are "sons of Belial" or "men of Belial," used for those who lead others to worship foreign gods (Deuteronomy 13:13), for the violent men of Gibeah (Judges 19:22), and for the corrupt sons of the priest Eli (1 Samuel 2:12). In these passages Belial is not yet a proper name or a supernatural being. English translations such as the King James Version kept the word untranslated, which helped it later to be read as a name.
From word to personification
In Jewish writings of the Second Temple period, Belial became a personal figure. The Dead Sea Scrolls, especially the War Scroll and the Community Rule, describe Belial as the leader of the "Sons of Darkness" and of a "lot" of spirits opposed to God and to the "Sons of Light." This reflects the strongly dualistic outlook of the Qumran texts, in which history is a struggle between two camps that will end with God's victory.
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and the Ascension of Isaiah use the form Beliar for a ruler of evil spirits. In the New Testament, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:15, "What accord has Christ with Beliar?", using the name as a counterpart to Christ. Scholars often compare this development with the growth of the figure of Satan and with Persian ideas of a cosmic adversary such as Ahriman, though the extent of any influence is debated.
Belial in Christian literature
Medieval Christian writers generally treated Belial as one of the names of the devil or as a particular demon. In some late medieval works, such as the Processus Belial attributed to Jacobus de Teramo (14th century), Belial appears as the devil's advocate in a mock trial over humanity's redemption, a popular text that circulated in many manuscripts and early printed editions.
The best-known literary portrait is in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). Milton's Belial is a graceful, eloquent fallen angel whose fine words hide idleness and vice:
A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd / For dignity compos'd and high exploit: / But all was false and hollow.
In the debate in Pandemonium, Belial argues against open war with Heaven, preferring ignoble ease, an image that shaped how later English readers imagined him.
In occult and esoteric tradition
Early modern grimoires absorbed Belial into their catalogs of spirits. The Ars Goetia, the first part of the seventeenth-century Lesser Key of Solomon, lists Belial as a mighty king, and similar entries appear in Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577). These lists belong to a learned tradition of demonology and ritual magic and describe what their authors believed, not historical or religious fact.
Belial also appears in accounts of witchcraft and diabolism from the early modern period, alongside ideas such as the Devil's mark and the supposed Black Mass. In modern times the name is used in fiction, games and music, and in some contemporary Satanist writings as a symbolic figure associated with independence or the earth element. These uses are recent and should not be confused with the biblical meaning.
Related concepts
Belial belongs to a family of adversary figures across religions. Useful comparisons include:
- Satan - the accuser in the Hebrew Bible who becomes the chief adversary in later Judaism and Christianity.
- Iblis - the being who refuses to bow to Adam in the Qur'an.
- Ahriman - the destructive spirit of Zoroastrian thought.
- Dualism - the idea of two opposed cosmic powers, central to the Qumran view of Belial.
Studying Belial shows how a common Hebrew noun could, over several centuries, turn into a character in theology, poetry and folklore. For a symbolic reading of the devil figure in divination, see the tarot card The Devil.
Related entries
On The Mystica today: The Devil tarot card
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Belial mean?
Belial comes from the Hebrew word beliyya'al, usually translated as "worthlessness" or "wickedness." In the Hebrew Bible it describes people who act lawlessly, as in the phrase "sons of Belial." Only later, in Second Temple Jewish writings, did it become the name of a personal evil being.
Is Belial the same as Satan?
Not originally. In the Hebrew Bible Belial is an abstract term, while Satan is an accuser figure. In the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament, Belial or Beliar functions as a leader of evil powers, and many later Christian writers used Belial as another name for the devil or as a separate demon.
Where does Belial appear in the Bible?
The Hebrew word appears in passages such as Deuteronomy 13:13, Judges 19:22, 1 Samuel 2:12 and 1 Samuel 25:17. In the New Testament, the Greek form Beliar appears once, in 2 Corinthians 6:15, where Paul contrasts Christ with Beliar and light with darkness.
Sources and further reading
- Belial · Wikipedia
- John Milton, Paradise Lost (1667), Book I and Book II · Book
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.