In the Hebrew Bible and lexicon tradition, “satan” is first and foremost a title/role meaning “adversary,” “accuser,” or “opponent,” not originally a proper name.

Basic Hebrew Lexicon Meaning

  • The noun שָׂטָן (sāṭān) means “adversary,” “opponent,” or “accuser,” and can describe either human or supernatural opposition.
  • As a verb (from the related root), it means “to oppose,” “to obstruct,” or “to accuse,” highlighting an active role of resistance or accusation.

“Satan” vs “the satan”

  • When the word appears with the definite article as הַשָּׂטָן (ha‑sāṭān “the satan”), it functions as a title for a particular figure in the divine council, essentially “the accuser” or “the prosecuting adversary.”
  • Proper names in Hebrew do not normally take the article, so the presence of “the” signals role/office more than personal name in those earlier texts.

Usage in the Hebrew Bible

  • In Job 1–2 and Zechariah 3, ha‑sāṭān appears as a heavenly figure who tests or accuses humans before God, similar to a prosecuting attorney in a royal court.
  • Elsewhere, forms of satan can describe human adversaries (for example, an “adversary” on someone’s path, or a political/military opponent), showing that the term is not intrinsically a cosmic devil word.

From Title to Name

  • Over time, especially in later Jewish and Christian interpretation, this courtroom “accuser” figure becomes increasingly identified as a single cosmic enemy of God and is treated as a proper name, “Satan.”
  • Later texts and traditions link the adversary in Job and Zechariah, the serpent of Genesis 3, and apocalyptic “dragon” imagery into a unified portrait of Satan as the chief evil being.

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