The Adversary-Man's Will Opposed to God.

Satan is a Hebrew word meaning one who accuses, or is an adversary. The word is found sixteen times in the Old Testament, twelve times in the first two chapters of the book of Job, where we have an account of God permitting an 'adversary' (a satan) to bring misfortune on Job, although this is for Job's better understanding of the ways of God and for his ultimate good.

David quotes his enemies as saying: "Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser [KJV: "Satan"] stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him…." (Psalm 109:6-7). Peter, in Acts 1:20, points this out as a prophecy of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.

Another Old Testament reference is found in Zechariah 3:1,2 where the Samaritans were shown to be 'adversaries' of the work of rebuilding the Temple at Jerusalem by the Jews who had returned from captivity, as related in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The same incident is referred to in Jude :9,23.

In 1 Chronicles 21:1, the 'Satan' or adversary to David can, by reference to the parallel passage in 2 Samuel 24:1, be seen to be God.

In the New Testament the word satan occurs thirty five times and becomes the name for a person or group of people who are 'adversaries' to the work of the gospel. In all cases they are human adversaries: Judas Iscariot (in Luke 22:3); Peter (in Mark 8:33); Ananias and Sapphira (in Acts 5:3); the leaders of the Jews (in Revelation 2:9); and the Roman authorities (in Revelation 2:13).

The human character of the Bible 'satan' is illustrated in the rebuke the Lord Jesus gave to Peter when Peter tried to dissuade him from going to his inevitable death: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Matthew 16:23).

(See also DEVIL).