H7854 H7854
the Satan, the Accuser; adversary, opponent; accuser
Senses
1. the Satan, the Accuser — A celestial being who serves as an adversary or accuser in the divine council, always appearing with the definite article (ha-satan) indicating a role/title rather than a proper name. Predominantly in Job 1-2 (14 occurrences) where the Satan appears among the 'sons of God,' challenges Job's integrity, and receives permission from God to test Job through suffering. Also in Zech 3:1 where the Satan stands at the right hand of Joshua the high priest to accuse him. Arabic uses ash-shaytan (the devil); Korean uses sa-tan (transliteration); Hindi uses shaitan; Spanish uses el Satan. The 1 Chr 21:1 occurrence (sense 139888) is transitional -- it lacks the article and may function as a proper name, but the Arabic renders it shaytan and Hindi shaitan, suggesting the cosmic adversary rather than a human opponent. 18×
AR["الشَّيْطانُ","الشَّيْطانِ","الشَّيْطَانُ","شَيْطَانٌ","وَالشَّيْطَانُ","يَا-شَيْطَانُ"]·ben["এবং-শয়তান","শয়তান","শয়তানকে"]·DE["[שטן]","der-Satan","und-der-Satan"]·EN["adversary","and-the-adversary","the-Satan","the-adversary"]·FR["[השטן]","[והשטן]","[שטן]","le-Satan"]·heb["ה-שטן","ו-ה-שטן","שטן"]·HI["और-शैतान","शैतान","शैतान-ने"]·ID["Iblis","dan-Iblis","hai-Iblis","iblis","si-Iblis"]·IT["Satana","[שטן]","e-Satana","il-Satana"]·jav["Sètan","Sétan","Sétan-punika","lan-Sétan"]·KO["그-사탄","그-사탄아","그-사탄이","그리고-그-사탄이","사단-이"]·PT["Satan","e-o-Satan","o-Satan"]·RU["-Сатан","-Сатану","Сатан","и-Сатан","сатана","сатане"]·ES["Satán","el-Satán","el-Satán!","y-el-Satán"]·SW["Shetani","na-Shetani"]·TR["Satan","ve-Şeytan-","Şeytan","Şeytan'a","Şeytan'a-"]·urd["اور-شیطان","شیطان","شیطان-نے"]
2. adversary, opponent — A human adversary or political opponent, used without the article and in secular/military contexts. In Numbers: the angel of YHWH standing 'as adversary' (le-satan) to block Balaam's path (Num 22:22, 32). In Samuel and Kings: David's men might become 'an adversary' (le-satan) in battle (1 Sam 29:4); Solomon declares he has no adversary (satan) when requesting temple-building permission (1 Kgs 5:4); God raises up Hadad the Edomite and Rezon as adversaries (satan) against Solomon (1 Kgs 11:14, 23, 25). Arabic uses khasm (opponent/adversary) rather than shaytan for these human contexts; Korean uses jeok/dae-jeok (enemy/opponent); Hindi uses shatru/virodhi (enemy/opponent); Spanish uses adversario. The consistent cross-linguistic distinction -- shaytan/Satan for the cosmic figure vs. khasm/adversario for human opponents -- confirms these as genuinely different senses. 8×
AR["خَصمًا","خَصْمًا","خَصْمٌ","لِ-شَيْطانٍ"]·ben["প্রতিপক্ষ","প্রতিপক্ষ-রূপে","বিরোধী","বিরোধী-রূপে","শত্রু"]·DE["adversary","fuer-adversary","wie-adversary"]·EN["adversary","as-adversary","for-adversary"]·FR["adversary","comme-adversary","pour-adversary"]·heb["ל-שטן","שטן"]·HI["विरोधी","विरोधी-के-रूप-में","विरोधी-के-लिए","शत्रु"]·ID["lawan","musuh","sebagai-lawan"]·IT["avversario","come-adversary","per-avversario"]·jav["mengsah","minangka-pepalang","satru"]·KO["대적을","대적이","에-대한-적","에게-적","적이"]·PT["adversário","como-adversário","por-adversário"]·RU["для-противника","противника","противником"]·ES["adversario","para-adversario","por-adversario"]·SW["adui","kama-mpinzani","kuwa-adui","mkutano"]·TR["-düşman-olarak","düşman","düşman-olarak"]·urd["دشمن","مخالف","مخالف-بن-کر"]
3. accuser — One who brings legal accusation or acts as a prosecutor, used in a judicial/forensic context. In Ps 109:6, the psalmist calls for 'an accuser' (satan) to stand at the right hand of his wicked enemy -- a courtroom scene where the satan functions as a prosecuting attorney. Korean uses dae-jeok-ja (adversary-person, with agentive suffix); Arabic uses shaytan; Spanish uses acusador (accuser) rather than adversario; French uses adversaire. This forensic/legal sense overlaps with both the cosmic accuser role (cf. Zech 3:1) and the human adversary sense, but its distinctly judicial setting and legal prosecution imagery distinguish it as a specialized usage. 1×
AR["وَ-شَيطان"]·ben["এবং-বিরোধী"]·DE["und-ein-accuser"]·EN["and-an-accuser"]·FR["et-adversaire"]·heb["ו-שטן"]·HI["और-विरोधी"]·ID["dan-iblis"]·IT["[ושטן]"]·jav["lan-setan"]·KO["그리고-대적자-가"]·PT["e-um-acusador"]·RU["и-сатана"]·ES["y-un-acusador"]·SW["na-mshitaki"]·TR["ve-suçlayıcı"]·urd["اور-شیطان"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שָׂטָן n.m. ψ 109:6 1. adversary. 2. Satan (NH שָׂטָן, סָטָן; Aramaic שָׂטָנָא, סָטָנָא, Syriac ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ (Hebr.); NH vb. סָטַן, Aramaic סְטַן; Arabic شَطَنَ is be remote, especially from the truth, and from the mercy of God; شَيْطَانٌ Satan, Ethiopic ሰይጣን );— 1. adversary, in gen., personal or national; (ל) הָיָה לְשׂ׳ Nu 22:22 (JE), 1 S 29:4 (cf. NesMarg. 15), 2 S 19:23, יָצָא לְשׂ׳ Nu 22:32…