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שָׂטַן

𐤔𐤈𐤍

sâṭan

H7853 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׂטן to oppose, to act as adversary, to accuse, to resist

Definition

To act as an adversary, oppose, or accuse; primarily denotes engaging in opposition or hostility, especially in a legal or interpersonal context. In some instances, used for active resistance or opposition, and in others for adversarial accusation or obstruction. The term does not inherently carry moral or supernatural connotations.

Semantic Range

to oppose, to become an adversary, to act as opposition or obstruction, to accuse in a legal or interpersonal sense, to resist or stand against

Root / Etymology

Root שׂטן (שׂ-ט-ן) is attested as a verbal root meaning 'to oppose' or 'to be an adversary.' The core notion is to stand opposed or become a hostile party, either by direct antagonistic action or through the context of formal accusation. The verbal root is the origin of the noun שָׂטָן (transliterated 'satan'), referring to one who acts as adversary or accuser.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historically, the verb שָׂטַן is found in the Hebrew Bible in active forms indicating acts of opposition, resisting, or playing an adversarial role. In early Israelite texts (e.g., Numbers 22:22, 1 Samuel 29:4), the sense is consistently of human or angelic figures taking an adversarial stance — not necessarily as legal accusers but as obstructers, opponents, or resistors. Over time, the related noun שָׂטָן develops a technical sense in certain contexts that later informs post-biblical literature's use for the figure 'Satan,' but this is not a meaning of the verb itself in the Hebrew Bible. English translations sometimes introduce the capitalized 'Satan' as a proper name based on later tradition, but the core verb always refers to the act of opposing, resisting, or accusing, with no intrinsic supernatural reference. The nuance in each passage must be determined by context: whether the opposition is physical, interpersonal, legal, or otherwise.

Translation Consistency

primary "oppose" 5 occurrences

“Oppose” best captures the primary sense of שָׂטַן as acting as an adversary, resisting, standing against, or objecting. It is a natural, neutral English verb that covers both interpersonal/legal opposition and active resistance, and thus fits the typical uses in the SILEX range while allowing consistent inflection across all forms.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"adversaries" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to attack, (figuratively) accuse; (be an) adversary, resist.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂטן (s-ṭ-n) — opposition, accusation, resistance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7854 שָׂטָן the adversary
H7855 שִׂטְנָה written accusation
H7856 שִׂטְנָה Enmity

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7853-02 שֹׂ֭טְנַ/י sotenay HVqrmpc/Sp1cs my adversaries those opposing me those opposing me 2
H7853-04 יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּ/נִי yisetenuni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs hate me they oppose me they oppose me 2
H7853-03 שֹׂטְנֵ֪י soteney HVqrmpc my adversaries opposing ones of my adversaries 1
H7853-01 לְ/שִׂטְנֽ/וֹ lesiteno HR/Vqc/Sp3ms to accuse him to oppose him to oppose him 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7853-01 Zechariah 3:1 לְ/שִׂטְנֽ/וֹ lesiteno HR/Vqc/Sp3ms to accuse him to oppose him to oppose him
H7853-04 Psalms 38:21 יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּ/נִי yisetenuni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs hate me they oppose me they oppose me
H7853-03 Psalms 71:13 שֹׂטְנֵ֪י soteney HVqrmpc my adversaries opposing ones of my adversaries
H7853-04 Psalms 109:4 יִשְׂטְנ֗וּ/נִי yisetenuni HVqi3mp/Sp1cs they accuse me they oppose me they oppose me
H7853-02 Psalms 109:20 שֹׂ֭טְנַ/י sotenay HVqrmpc/Sp1cs my adversaries those opposing me those opposing me
H7853-02 Psalms 109:29 שׂוֹטְנַ֣/י sotenay HVqrmpc/Sp1cs my adversaries those opposing me those opposing me
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