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WHAT THE DEVIL?

Submitted by Editor on

For the benefit of those too busy, stressed, or myopic to read to the end of informal street-postings, Spurtle offers an occasional free transcription service so that readers can study such little urban mysteries in the comfort of their own bubbles.

Today we examine a handwritten message found at various spots across north Edinburgh, most at pedestrian crossings and some – we’re informed – along the route of the No. 8 bus.

It reads:

SATAN – Hebrew ‘To lie in wait’.

Occupation: Current, temp owner

of this world? Worships DEATH.

Present in TV (violence, vulgar,

Lucyfer, mocks GOD). Hes

more devil-name products

than you can count. Yet

he does not exist?!

street posting

Spurtle does not opine on theology. We do, however, note that:

  • according to our sources, Satan derives from Old English via late Latin and Greek from Hebrew śāṭān, meaning literally ‘adversary’, from śāṭan ‘to plot against’
  • Lucifer comes from the Latin lux (light) and fer (bearing), and refers to the morning star, as in Isaiah Chapter 14: 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. / 12  How art thou fallen Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
  • we agree, a vast amount of TV content is both vulgar and violent
  • a variety of interesting views on the Devil’s possible existence, and as an entity independent of God, are outlined here.
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