The Meaning of the Hebrew Word Satan

The Word Satan Defined

The word "Satan" in the Bible is often thought of as the personal name of the evil one. However, the Hebrew definition of the word suggests that it is most commonly used in the Old Testament to describe an accusatory adversary of any kind. King David uses this word to describe his false accusers in Psalm 109.

In return for my love, they are my accusers (satan שטן).

Thus, they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.

Set a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser (satan שטן). stand at his right hand ...

... Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers (satan שטן), and to those who speak evil against my person.

— Psalm 109:4-6,20

The New Testament additionally describes the adversarial role of the spiritual entity, Satan, depicting him as the accuser in the book of Revelation.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
— Revelation 12:10

The book of Zechariah also illustrates the accusatory aspect of Satan's character when Joshua, the High Priest, stands before the Lord. The word "Satan" is used as a proper name in this case.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
— Zechariah 3:1

The Paleo version of Hebrew letters

The Pictograph Perspective

Biblical Hebrew, the language used to write the Old Testament, was initially a pictographic language. Each letter was an icon representing a concept contributing to the word's meaning. When looking at the pictograph for the Hebrew word "satan שטן," it's easy to see how the illustrations align with this idea. The word comprises three Hebrew letters: sheen (ש), tet (ט), and nun (ן).

Sheen ש: Teeth

Sheen ש, the first letter of the word satan שטן, is represented by an image of teeth and can communicate the idea of devouring, consuming, or destroying. This letter is descriptive of the adversarial role of Satan or the Devil. In Greek, diablos means a false accuser, slanderer, or adversary.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

— 1 Peter 5:8

The book of Job gives us an example of the "walking about" clause, underlined in the Scripture verse above, in a conversation between God and Satan. In this scene, Satan seeks an opportunity and the right to the territory of someone's life through an occasion of sin. He does this by "going to and fro on the earth," similar to his "walking about" in 1 Peter.

... the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."
— Job 1:7

Satan seeks a legal opportunity to steal, kill, and destroy in the above discourse. He can stake an authorized claim if he can make an accusation of unrighteousness and discover a guilty party. He is surveying the land of Job's life to see if he can gain an opportunity to have dominion there. Jesus describes this idea in the Gospel of John.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

— John 10:10

Let's contrast this with what God's surveillance seeks to do. After Adam and Eve chose evil, God walked about in the garden, looking for His people.

... God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (to Spirit the day).
— Genesis 3:8

In the above case, the literal translation of "cool of the day" could more accurately be read as "to Spirit the day." God is seeking an occasion to bless His children with His Spirit.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him.
— 2 Chronicles 16:9

God seeks an opportunity to bless. Loyalty to God and His ways makes a straight path for God to do that.

Moabite king Balak seeks an occasion to curse God's people through the prophet Balaam.
Phillip Medhurst

An Example From Balaam

The accuser's opportunity to access God's people through sin is demonstrated in the book of Numbers, chapters 22-24. The children of Israel were just about to enter the promised land when King Balak, king of Moab, felt threatened by God's people and attempted to curse Israel through a diviner named Balaam. Balaam makes three attempts to curse them but blesses them four times instead. The reason for Balaam's failure to curse God's people is given in the following verses.

“God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Behold, I (Balaam) have received a command to bless;

He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

“He (God) has not observed iniquity in Jacob,

Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

The Lord his God is with him,

— Numbers 23:19-21

Just as it was with Job, an adversary is attempting to access God's people to harm them. In this case, access was denied because no iniquity or wickedness was found in them. The evil scheme failed.

Tet ט: Coil

The second letter of the Hebrew word satan is tet, and its pictograph is of something coiled like a serpent. It carries the idea of distinguishing between good and evil. The snake's forked tongue, used as an instrument of discernment, illustrates this.

... but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

— Genesis 2:17

We see a mixture of good and evil in the tree. Discernment involves differentiating and distinguishing.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
— Hebrews 5:14

The biggest lie of the universe is that good and evil can co-exist and that we can experience both without consequence.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
— 1 Corinthians 10:21

Ancient Israel tried to get by with this in the ninth year of Hoshea. The King of Assyria exiled the northern kingdom for the following reasons.

Now this happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God—who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt—and they had feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel, and in the statutes of the kings of Israel which they had made.
— 2 Kings 17:7-8

God also clarifies that not only were they sinning by worshiping other gods, but they were doing it alongside worshiping Him. They were simultaneously attempting to live in both good and evil spiritual territories.

They were fearing Yahweh and serving their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken away into exile ... So while these nations were fearing Yahweh, they also were serving their graven images; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers acted, so they are acting this way to this day.
— 2 Kings 17:33,41

I have often wondered why the tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why not just call it evil, considering its consequences? I think the key is in God's response to all He had made when He declared them "good." Initially, the tree was good like all the others, but something had defiled it.

From the mouth of the Most High,
Go not forth, the evils and the good. (YLT)

— Lamentations 3:38

Sheen ש and tet ט, the first two letters of satan, spell the word "set שט." Set" is the name of an Egyptian god who appears to be much like the satan שטן of the Bible.

The ancient Egyptians had a god named Set, who was the god of the desert, storms, disorder, and violence.
— Wikipedia

Evening: Mixing Light With Darkness

Before moving forward with the final letter of our pictograph lesson, it is necessary to study the concept of mixing and its connection with evil. We will begin with the definition of the Hebrew word for "evening" (erev ערב), which includes the concept of mixing, interweaving, and interchanging. The idea is that evening is when the darkness begins to mix with the light, creating confusion and chaos. It is metaphorical for things that come from God that are good but mixed with things that are not.

God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening (erev ערב) and the morning were the first day.
— Genesis 1:3-5

Notably, God called the light good but not the darkness. He distinguished them by separating light and dark and calling one night and the other day.

The word evening first appears in the creation scene, blending darkness with light and ultimately culminating in total darkness, symbolizing death, chaos, and confusion. The Hebrew word for morning, boker בקר, is the opposite. The light begins invading the landscape with awakening, discernment, and revelation, bringing order and substance to life.

The word erev, meaning both evening and mixing, is also the root word for merchandising, West, and sterility. From a current events perspective, this is quite revealing. The West is well known for its mixing and merchandising, which has led to spiritual slumber, or a kind of darkness.

... knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
— Romans 13:11-12

Ayin ע, resh ר, and bet ב are the three root letters that comprise the word evening (erev ערב). Ayin ע means perception, resh ר means person, and can contain the concept of dominion, and bet ב means inside a house or stronghold. Ayin and resh together form an uncommonly used word for an enemy. A vav ו inserted between ayin and resh makes the word mean 'naked'. In combination, we see that mixing darkness with light or evil with good, as illustrated by the pictographic revelation of the word evening, results in skewed perceptions within an enemy stronghold.

This explains what happened in the garden with the enemy of God and man. Satan peddled his mixture of lies to Adam and Eve. With their cooperation through disobedience to God, he molested and divested them, altered their perceptions, and left them subject to his dominion.

The man who fell out of the window during Paul's long lecture. Acts 20:7-9
Sweet Publishing

The Mixture of Light and Dark Lulls Us to Sleep

The next exhibit of mixing comes from the Book of Acts, where Paul gives an extra-long speech.

... Paul spoke to the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he continued talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus. He was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking for a long time. When he was sound asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.

— Acts 20:7-9

The following thoughts are borrowed from a sermon by Pastor Frank Salas of Escondido, California, relating to the mixing of dark and light in the above Scriptural event.

He noted that in the narrative, the room was warmly lit with many lamps, exhibiting a life lived in fellowship with God. It was midnight, and therefore dark and chilly outside, illustrating the darkness of life outside God's rule and realm. The man sitting in the window between the two experienced a soothing mix of cool and warmth that eventually led him to be overcome with sleep and finally fell to his death. Mixing light with darkness will put us in a spiritual slumber that can lead us to a fatal fall. His fall from the third-story window indicated this concerned a spiritual reality. We know the man was restored as the account reads, but it would be wise not to ride that fence.

And do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
— Romans 13:11-14

The Mixing of Animals, Seed, and Textiles

There are some intriguing Scriptural examples concerning the prohibition of mixing in the book of Leviticus.

You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

— Leviticus 19:19

It's an odd collection of requirements at first glance unless you understand the underlying principle of the danger of mixing. The fact that there are three categories reveals that this command has a spiritual application.

We might find our example in the modern-day practice of genetic modification. Mixing genetic material in plant species to produce what appears to be "good for food and pleasant to the eye" consumption is unhealthy and environmentally damaging. Also, these genetically altered and mixed plants are, in most cases, sterile. The idea of mixing that results in sterility illustrates how mixing the seed of God's Word and truth with worldly human philosophies and agendas can create a confusing tree of knowledge mixed with good and evil intentions. Much like the garden scene in Genesis chapter three, what appears to be "good for food and pleasant to the eye is abjectly unhealthy, damaging, and unproductive.

This concept is also displayed in the mixing of species as it applies to livestock. If you mix a female horse with a male donkey, you end up with a mule that cannot reproduce, and such is the case for other mixed species, such as a liger (lion and tiger) and a geep (goat and sheep), which are all noted for their genetic fallibility. Animal mixing addresses another definition of the word for "evening" (erev) and that of sterility. Mixing natures might seem useful and profitable mutations, but they are, in reality, deforming and unproductive, even if they look good. This mixing of natures, as it concerns a spiritual application, concerns not mixing flesh and Spirit.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.

— Galatians 5:17

We would do well to distinguish between the two.

The final reference to mixing in Leviticus concerns clothing. Wool was not to be mixed with linen. Linen symbolizes human works, and wool symbolizes God's provision. In his book, A Dictionary of Bible Types, Walter L Wilson captures the underlying message of this command.

"Salvation must be all of God, with no mixture of human merit"

This idea of mixing concerning worship can take many forms. When the children of Israel got most off-course, they didn't stop their "worship" practices as much as they began mixing other religious ideas and traditions with them. When Aaron formed the golden calf, he called its dedication a feast to the Lord.

Aaron made a proclamation and said,
“Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.

— Exodus 32:5

The church of today is a prime example of what this looks like. Through mixing world ideologies with Scripture, we have created a mutant breed of fruitless and defective "Christians" that distort the image of God and are not producing a new generation of believers.

Mixing Hot and Cold

A final example of mixing comes from the Book of Revelation. In chapter three, Jesus' confrontation with the church of Laodicea denotes an unacceptable, lukewarm state of His people.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth

— Revelation 3:15,16

This verse means so much more when we understand a bit of the geography of the area surrounding Laodicea. Laodicea had two neighboring cities, Hierapolis, known for its hot springs, and Colosse, known for its cold springs. The imagery comes from an aqueduct made by the Laodiceans to channel water to their city, possibly from both sources. This mixing process led to lukewarm water that was putrid, poisonous, and undrinkable. Mixing water sources from a spiritual perspective is lethal.

"For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water

— Jeremiah 2:13

Nun נ: Fish or Seed

Back to our pictograph study of the Hebrew word satan (שטן): the last and final letter, nun ן, is represented by an image of a fish or a seed. It can mean something perpetual and or eternal. It is also symbolic of life.

So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life (soul). (The actual Hebrew translation reads the word "life" as soul.)

— Job 2:4

Satan tempts a man to give up "all" to gain what he thinks he might want, need, or even what he might think is "good" for the gain of his own soul and ends up forfeiting his life/soul to get it.

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
— Matthew 16:26

As Adam gave up his life to gain something. Christ asks us to lose our lives to gain it back.

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
— Luke 17:33

The above Scriptures describe what happened when Adam and Eve lost their lives and how they lost them. Their lives were forfeited by seeking to save and please their own soul, and they lost everything. The way back home is the same road. By losing our lives for Christ, we gain it back again.

Combining the Concepts

When we combine all these concepts, the devouring, consuming snake seeks to destroy man (sheen ש) by convincing him that evil is good. As man partakes of this mixture, it will warp his ability to distinguish between the two (tet ט), robbing him of his eternal existence and forfeiting an eternal life with God. (nun נ) Satan is the devourer of good and life.

In conclusion, the word picture makes us aware that there is an enemy of our soul, and it would be wise for us to distinguish between good and evil so that we may choose good and give the enemy no foothold in our lives. May we be loyal to the one who came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8) by giving up His life to save ours.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

— Deuteronomy 30:19

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Hebrew Word Studies