This is a transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning 'adversary' or 'opponent,' which the Septuagint sometimes translated with Greek equivalents like ἐπίβουλος ('plotter') or διάβολος ('accuser'). In Jewish and Christian usage, it became the proper name for the chief of evil spirits who opposes God and accuses humanity. The word could remain indeclinable or take the Greek ending -ᾶς to form Σατανᾶς. New Testament writers used it extensively for the personal spiritual being who tempts, deceives, and seeks to thwart God's purposes. The name encapsulates the theological concept of cosmic opposition to divine will.