Satan - Hebrew Bible

Hebrew Bible

The original Hebrew term, satan, is a noun from a verb meaning primarily to, “obstruct, oppose,” as it is found in Numbers 22:22, 1 Samuel 29:4, Psalms 109:6. Ha-Satan is traditionally translated as “the accuser,” or “the adversary.” The definite article “ha-”, English “the”, is used to show that this is a title bestowed on a being, versus the name of a being. Thus this being would be referred to as “the satan”.

Ha-Satan with the definite article occurs 13 times in the Masoretic Text, in two books of the Hebrew Bible:

• Job ch.1–2 (10x),
• Zechariah 3:1–2 (3x).

Satan without the definite article is used in 10 instances, of which two are translated diabolos in the Septuagint and "Satan" in the King James Version:

• 1 Chronicles 21:1, "Satan stood up against Israel" (KJV) or "And there standeth up an adversary against Israel" (Young's Literal Translation)
• Psalm 109:6b "and let Satan stand at his right hand" (KJV) or "let an accuser stand at his right hand." (ESV, etc.)

The other eight instances of satan without the definite article are traditionally translated (in Greek, Latin and English) as "an adversary", etc., and taken to be humans or obedient angels:

• Numbers 22:22,32 "and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him."
• 32 "behold, I went out to withstand thee,"
• 1 Samuel 29:4 The Philistines say: "lest he be an adversary against us"
• 2 Samuel 19:22 David says: " should this day be adversaries (plural) unto me?"
• 1 Kings 5:4 Solomon writes to Hiram: "there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
• 1 Kings 11:14 "And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite"
• 1 Kings 11:23 "And God stirred him up an adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah"
• 25 "And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon"