H7854 H7854
Adversary, accuser; the Satan — a human opponent, legal prosecutor, or the celestial Accuser in God's court
The noun satan derives from the verb satan ('to oppose, accuse') and travels a striking semantic arc across the Hebrew Bible. In its earliest uses it names any human adversary: the angel of the LORD stands as a satan to block Balaam (Num 22:22), the Philistines fear David will become their satan in battle (1 Sam 29:4), and God raises up human adversaries against Solomon (1 Kgs 11:14, 23). In Job and Zechariah, the word takes the definite article — ha-satan, 'the Adversary' — and becomes a specific celestial figure who accuses the righteous before God's throne (Job 1-2; Zech 3:1-2). By 1 Chronicles 21:1, the article drops and satan approaches a proper name. Arabic shaitan and every major translation tradition (Spanish Satan/adversario, German der Satan) preserve the tension between generic opponent and cosmic Accuser.
Senses
1. the Satan, the Accuser — The Satan — the definite, celestial figure who serves as accuser and adversary in the divine council. Always appearing with the definite article (ha-satan) in Job and Zechariah, this figure roams the earth and challenges the piety of the righteous (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7), stands to accuse the high priest Joshua (Zech 3:1-2), and incites David to number Israel (1 Chr 21:1, where the article drops). Spanish el-Satan and German der-Satan preserve the titular quality, and the 18 occurrences make this the dominant Old Testament profile of the word. 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, political opponent, or military antagonist — used without the article in secular and military contexts. The angel of YHWH becomes a satan to Balaam (Num 22:22, 32), Solomon reports that God has given him rest from every satan (1 Kgs 5:4), and God raises up Hadad and Rezon as political adversaries (1 Kgs 11:14, 23, 25). Spanish adversario and French adversaire confirm the generic, non-supernatural reading. The range spans battlefield rival (1 Sam 29:4; 2 Sam 19:22) to divinely appointed obstacle. 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 — An accuser in a legal or forensic setting — one who stands at the right hand of the defendant to prosecute. Psalm 109:6 asks God to 'set a wicked man over him, and let an accuser (satan) stand at his right hand.' The judicial framing — right-hand position, parallel with 'wicked one' — distinguishes this from both the celestial Satan and a military adversary. Spanish acusador and German Anklaeger ('accuser') isolate the courtroom dimension of the root's meaning. 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"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)
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…