Who is Satan - Part 1

Christianity and Judaism see ‘Satan’ quite differently.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word ‘satan’  means to act as an accuser, adversary or opposer.  This opposition (and the one opposing) is always subordinate to the will of God, and appointed or allowed by God to test man’s faith.  In the Torah, the term satan refers to a human acting as adversary.  In the Tanak there are several instances where ‘satan’ could be understood to be an evil influence or character, which may reflect Jewish understanding at that time.  In the Jewish pseudepigrapha (writings that are not included in the canon of Jewish Scripture), there is at times a picture of Satan being an adversary of God Himself; though this understanding is generally rejected by Judaism. 

The Hebrew term ‘satan’ (H7853) is a noun from a verb, and means to oppose or obstruct.  The word ‘ha-satan’ (H7854) is a title bestowed on a being, rather than the name of a being.  In a proper English translation, ‘ha-satan’ would be ‘the satan’.  ‘The satan’ is not a prominent figure in the Torah.  The term ‘ha-satan’ appears in Job 1-2 and Zechariah 3:1-39.

The Christian perspective is that ‘Satan’ is a specific divine or superhuman entity who is self-appointed as the arch-enemy of God; who is the chief of an army of similarly fallen beings cast out of heaven by God; and who works on his own initiative to destroy man’s faith. The Greek manuscripts of the Christian New Testament, as with the Jewish pseudepigrapha, may reflect a particular philosophy of the day, as they do uphold a similar view.