Sa’tan, is the Hebrew word שָׂטָן, satan‘, transferred to the English. It is derived from the verb שָׂטִן, which means “to lie in wait,” “to oppose,” “to be an adversary;” hence, the noun denotes an adversary, or opposer. The word in its generic sense occurs in 1 Kings 11:14: “The Lord raised up an adversary (satan; Sept. σατάν) against Solomon,” i.e. Hadad the Edomite. In the 23d verse the word occurs again, applied to Rezan. It is used in the same sense in 1 Samuel 29:4, where David is termed an adversary, and in Numbers 22:22, where the angel “stood in the way for an adversary (satan) to Balaam,” i.e. to oppose him when he went with the princes of Moab. See also 2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:25; Psalms 109:6, where the Sept. has ἐπίβουλος, ἀντικαίμενος, διάβολος, etc. In Zechariah 33:1, 2, the word occurs in its specific sense as a proper name. “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan.” Here it is manifest, both from the context and the use of the article, that some particular adversary is denoted. In Job 1; 2, the same use of the word with the article occurs several times. The events in which Satan is represented as the agent confirm this view. He was a distinguished adversary and tempter. See also 1 Chronicles 21:1. In all these latter passages the Sept. has σατάν, and the Vulg. Satan.
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Satan
Bible reference(s): Job 1:6-9, Job 1:12, Job 2:1-4, Job 2:6-7, Psalm 109:6, Zechariah 3:1-2, Matthew 4:10, Matthew 16:23, Matthew 4:1, Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:5, Matthew 4:8, Matthew 4:11, Matthew 5:37, Matthew 6:13, Matthew 13:19, Matthew 13:38, Matthew 25:41, Mark 1:13, Mark 4:15, Luke 4:2-3, Luke 4:5-6, Luke 4:8, Luke 4:13, Luke 8:12, Luke 13:16, Luke 22:3, Luke 22:31, John 6:70, John 8:44, John 13:2, John 13:27, John 17:15, Acts 5:3, Acts 13:10, Acts 26:18, Romans 16:20, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 6:15, 2 Corinthians 12:7, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 4:27, Ephesians 6:11, Ephesians 6:16, 1 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 1 Thessalonians 2:18, 1 Timothy 1:20, 1 Timothy 3:6-7, 1 Timothy 5:14-15, 2 Timothy 2:26, Hebrews 2:14, James 4:7, 1 John 2:13-14, 1 John 3:8, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:12, 1 John 5:18-19, Jude 1:9, Revelation 2:9-10, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:24, Revelation 3:9, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 12:12, Revelation 20:2, Revelation 20:7, Revelation 20:10
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, (abridged).
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