The Seven Spirits of Deceit

Illustration of The Seven Spirits of Deceit

In his testament Reuben says that during his repentance he saw the truth about seven spirits of error. Seven spirits are sent against a person from Beliar, and seven others are given at creation so that every human work can be done. The created spirits are life, sight, hearing, smelling, speech, taste and begetting, with sleep added as an eighth.

Mixed in with these are the spirits of error. Reuben names them in order: fornication, which lives in the nature and the senses, insatiateness in the belly, fighting in the liver and gall, fawning and trickery, arrogance, lying, and injustice, which brings theft. Sleep, the eighth, is joined with error and fantasy. Reuben says this is how every young man perishes, and that it happened to him. Later speakers in the book return to the same spirits.

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Symbolizes
Vices that mislead the young

Key Chapters

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 2 Reuben 2 2 min read The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 3 Reuben 3 3 min read The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 55 Judah 20 1 min read

Key Passages

The seven spirits given at creation

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 2:1-9

And now hear me, my children, what things I saw in my repentance concerning the seven spirits of error....

A1nd now hear me, my children, what things I saw in my repentance concerning the seven spirits of error.

2 Seven spirits are given against man from Beliar, and they are chief of the works of youth; and seven spirits are given to him at his creation, that in them should be done every work of man. 3 The first (1) spirit is of life, with which man’s whole being is created. 4 The second (2) spirit is of sight, with which ariseth desire. 5 The third (3) spirit is of hearing, with which cometh teaching. 6 The fourth (4) spirit is of smelling, with which taste is given to draw air and breath. 7 The fifth (5) spirit is of speech, with which cometh knowledge. 8 The sixth (6) spirit is of taste, with which cometh the eating of meats and drinks; and by them strength is produced, for in food is the foundation of strength. 9 The seventh (7) spirit is of begetting and sexual intercourse, with which through love of pleasure sin also entereth in: wherefore it is the last in order of creation, and the first of youth, because it is filled with ignorance, which leadeth the young as a blind man to a pit, and as cattle to a precipice.

The seven spirits of error

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 3:1-9

Besides all these, there is an eighth (8) spirit of sleep, with which is created entrancement of man’s nature, and the i...

B1esides all these, there is an eighth (8) spirit of sleep, with which is created entrancement of man’s nature, and the image of death.

2 With these spirits are mingled the spirits of error. 3 The first (1), the spirit of fornication, dwelleth in the nature and in the senses; the second (2) spirit of insatiateness in the belly; the third (3) spirit of fighting in the liver and the gall. 4 The fourth (4) is the spirit of fawning and trickery, that through over-officiousness a man may be fair in seeming. 5 The fifth (5) is the spirit of arrogance, that a man may be stirred up and become high-minded. 6 The sixth (6) is the spirit of lying, in perdition and in jealousy to feign words, and to conceal words from kindred and friends. 7 The seventh (7) is the spirit of injustice, with which are theft and pilferings, that a man may work the desire of his heart; for injustice worketh together with the other spirits by means of craft. 8 Besides all these, the spirit of sleep, the eighth (8) spirit, is conjoined with error and fantasy. 9 And so perisheth every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the law of God, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers, as befell me also in my youth.

The two spirits that wait on man

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 55:1-4

Learn therefore, my children, that two spirits wait upon man—the spirit of truth and the spirit of error; and in the mid...

L1earn therefore, my children, that two spirits wait upon man—the spirit of truth and the spirit of error; and in the midst is the spirit of the understanding of the mind, to which it belongeth to turn whithersoever it will.

2 And the works of truth and the works of error are written upon the breast of men, and each one of them the Lord knoweth. 3 And there is no time at which the works of men can be hid from Him; for on the bones of his breast hath he been written down before the Lord. 4 And the spirit of truth testifieth all things, and accuseth all; and he who sinneth is burnt up by his own heart, and cannot raise his face unto the Judge.

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Did You Know?

1

Reuben says the seven spirits of error are sent against man from Beliar and are chief of the works of youth.

2

The spirit of fighting is placed in the liver and the gall, and the spirit of insatiateness in the belly.

3

Reuben calls begetting the last spirit in order of creation and the first of youth, because it is filled with ignorance.

4

An eighth spirit, sleep, is described as the image of death and is joined with error and fantasy.

5

Judah later names four evil spirits found in wine, which are lust, wrath, riot and filthy lucre.