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Satan: the adversary

Hebrew שָׂטָן. Greek Σατανᾶς · διάβολος. Also called The Adversary, The devil, Diabolos, Accuser, satan · Satanas · diabolos.

The Hebrew word for an adversary, 27 times: kept as the name Satan in Job, Zechariah and 1 Chronicles, and translated everywhere else, even for the angel of the LORD who stands in Balaam’s road.

A satan is anyone who stands against you: a rival king raised up against Solomon, an accuser at a trial, the angel blocking Balaam’s way “to oppose him”. In Job and Zechariah the word has the article, ha-satan, “the adversary”, a figure in the heavenly court who accuses; only 1 Chronicles 21:1 uses it alone, like a name. The New Testament takes the name over as Satanas and adds diabolos, “slanderer”, the devil. Most translations print “Satan” wherever the word is a figure; the YLT and OEB print “the Adversary”.

Satan: the Hebrew word for adversary, a name in three books and a common word in the rest

שָׂטָן satan, adversary: 27 times

  • 9 translated: adversary, accuser, enemy, to oppose
  • 18 kept as the name Satan: 1 Chronicles 1, Job 14, Zechariah 3
  1. Numbers 22:22 “the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him” the angel of the LORD
  2. 1 Kings 11:14 “the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite” a foreign enemy
  3. Psalm 109:6 “let an accuser stand at his right hand” an accuser at law
  4. Job 1:6 “and Satan also came with them” the satan, among the sons of God
  5. 1 Chronicles 21:1 “Then Satan rose up against Israel” Satan, without “the”

The word is any adversary: a rival king, an accuser in court, even the angel of the LORD standing in Balaam’s road. In Job and Zechariah the Hebrew has the article, ha-satan, “the adversary”, a figure in God’s court; only 1 Chronicles 21:1 uses it without “the”, like a name.

The same word, in ten translations

Translation Numbers 22:22 Zechariah 3:1
YLT for an adversary to him the Adversary standing
OEB not translated yet the Adversary standing
WEB as an adversary against him Satan standing
LSV for an adversary to him Satan standing
KJV for an adversary against him Satan standing
ASV for an adversary against him Satan standing
BSB to oppose him Satan standing
DBY to withstand him Satan standing
FBV to confront him Satan standing
T4T to block Balaam’s path Satan was standing

Only the YLT and OEB call the figure in Zechariah “the Adversary”, which lets a reader hear the same word as Balaam’s angel.

In the New Testament

The Greek takes over the Hebrew name as Satanas (36 times) and adds diabolos, “slanderer”, the devil (37 times, “devil” 33 of them). Revelation names him with both: “that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9). Counted by Strong’s number: H7854, G4567 and G1228.

Where it appears

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