Etymologically
Log in

שטן

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Biblical Hebrew word שטן

שטן1 adversary, accuser

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Hebrew Bible

Pronunciation

  • Tiberian: śāṭān[1][2]
  • Samaritan reading tradition: išṭån[3]

Forms

שָׂטָן (śāṭān) noun, masculine[1] With the article הַשָּׂטָן in Job 1–2 and Zechariah 3; without it in 1 Chronicles 21:1.[4][5]

Etymology

The adversary is a noun of the root ⟨śṭn⟩, which Huehnergard calls Northwest Semitic, “to be hostile, to accuse”; he takes the noun from the verb שָׂטַן (śāṭan, “to accuse”).[6] BDB and Klein take the opposite direction, the verb being denominative from the noun.[7][8] Klein thinks the noun probably comes from שׁוּט (šûṭ, “to roam, go to and fro”), and Gesenius–Buhl compares Akkadian muštatinu (“hostile”) and the by-form שָׂטַם (śāṭam, “to bear a grudge”).[9][10]

The Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic and Ge'ez words are loans from Hebrew: Aramaic סָטָנָא (sāṭānā), Classical Syriac ܣܵܛܵܢܵܐ (sāṭānā, “Satan, devil; adversary”), Arabic شَيْطَان (šayṭān, “Satan”) and Ge'ez ሰይጣን (säyṭan).[9][11][2] Huehnergard traces the Arabic word through Ge'ez to Aramaic.[6] BDB compares the native Arabic verb شَطَنَ (šaṭana, “to be remote”), used of being far from the truth.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the narrative books the word is an ordinary noun for an opponent.[2] The angel of YHWH stands in Balaam's road ləśāṭān lô “as an adversary to him” (Numbers 22:22), the Philistine lords fear that David will become their adversary in battle (1 Samuel 29:4), and wayyāqem YHWH śāṭān lišlōmōh “the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon” (1 Kings 11:14).[1][2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Zechariah 3 and in the prologue of Job, haśśāṭān “the Accuser”, with the article, is a superhuman being among the sons of God who accuses people before God.[4][2] Only in 1 Chronicles 21:1, wayyaʿămōḏ śāṭān ʿal-yiśrāʾēl “Satan stood up against Israel” and moved David to count the people, is it used without the article, and Holladay takes it there as a proper name.[5][1]

The Septuagint mostly renders it Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos) “slanderer”, sometimes ἐπίβουλος (epíboulos) “plotter”, and once transcribes it.[1] The Dead Sea Scrolls use it 12 times.[12] In Rabbinic Hebrew Satan is the hinderer and accuser, and one should not “open one's mouth to Satan” by speaking of misfortune (Berakhot 19a).[13] Greek borrowed it as Σατανᾶς (Satanâs),[14] and English Satan goes back to the Hebrew word.[6]

Timeline

  • Classical Biblical Hebrew – a human or angelic opponent, as in Numbers 22:22 and 1 Kings 11:14.[1][2]
  • Poetic and prophetic books – haśśāṭān “the Accuser” in the divine council.[4][1]
  • Late Biblical Hebrew – śāṭān without the article in 1 Chronicles 21:1.[5][1]
  • 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint renders it Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos).[15][1]
  • 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 12 uses in the Dead Sea Scrolls.[16][12]

Meanings

Noun

  1. an adversary, opponent, in war or politics.[2][4]
  2. one who stands in the way, an obstacle: the angel before Balaam.[4]
  3. an accuser in a lawsuit (Psalm 109:6).[4]
  4. haśśāṭān the Accuser, a superhuman being in God's court.[2][17]
  5. Satan, as a proper name (1 Chronicles 21:1).[5]

Descendants

  • Classical Syriac ܣܵܛܵܢܵܐ (sāṭānā)[11]
  • Ancient Greek Σατανᾶς (Satanâs)[14]
  • Yiddish שׂטן (sotn)[14]
  • Modern Hebrew שטן (satán)[14]
  • English Satan[6]

שטן2 to accuse, be hostile

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Hebrew Bible (Psalms, Zechariah)
Ultimate origin
Biblical Hebrew שטן

Pronunciation

  • Tiberian: śāṭan[7]
  • Samaritan reading tradition: išṭā̊nåk (with suffix)[3]

Forms

שָׂטַן (śāṭan) verb[1] Only qal: imperfect with suffix יִשְׂטְנוּנִי, infinitive with suffix לְשִׂטְנוֹ, participle שֹׂטְנֵי, שֹׂטְנַי.[7][10]

Etymology

The verb is, for BDB and Klein, a denominative from Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śāṭān, “adversary”).[7][8] Huehnergard instead makes the verb the base of the noun.[6] Gesenius–Buhl compares Aramaic סְטַן (səṭan) and Arabic شَطَنَ (šaṭana), while Klein takes the Aramaic and Syriac verb as formed in turn from the noun “Satan”.[10][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

All six uses are in the Psalms and Zechariah.[1] The psalmist complains taḥaṯ-ʾahăḇāṯî yiśṭənûnî “in return for my love they accuse me” (Psalm 109:4), and in Zechariah's vision the Accuser stands at the high priest's right hand ləśiṭnô “to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1).[1][7]

Semantic evolution

In the Psalms the verb describes enemies who repay good with evil, and its participle means “my adversaries, my accusers” (Psalm 71:13, 109:20, 29).[7][10] Holladay gives “to bear a grudge against” for Psalm 38:21.[18] The Septuagint renders it Ancient Greek ἐνδιαβάλλω (endiabállō) “to accuse falsely”.[1] Rabbinic Hebrew has a hiphil “to accuse; to lead astray”.[19]

Timeline

  • Poetic books – yiśṭənûnî “they accuse me” (Psalm 38:21, 109:4).[1]
  • Prophetic books – ləśiṭnô “to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1).[1][7]
  • 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint renders it Ancient Greek ἐνδιαβάλλω (endiabállō).[15][1]

Meanings

Verb

  1. qal to be or act as an adversary, to treat with hostility.[7][10]
  2. qal to accuse, to oppose with accusations.[10][20]
  3. qal participle adversaries, accusers.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Clear Bible (2023–), MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets (Westminster Leningrad Codex, with Greek alignment), github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew, CC BY 4.0
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brown, Francis; Driver, S. R.; Briggs, Charles A. (1906), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, with an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  3. ^ a b Højgaard, Christian Canu; Naaijer, Martijn; Schorch, Stefan (2023), Text-Fabric Dataset of the Samaritan Pentateuch, Zenodo, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7734632
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Gesenius, Wilhelm; Buhl, Frants (1915), Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das Alte Testament, 17th ed., Leipzig: F. C. W. Vogel, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  5. ^ a b c d Holladay, William L. (1971), A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  6. ^ a b c d e Huehnergard, John (2011), "Proto-Semitic Language and Culture" and "Semitic Roots", in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. s.v. śṭn
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brown, Francis; Driver, S. R.; Briggs, Charles A. (1906), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, with an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. שָׂטַן
  8. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest (1987), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta; Haifa: University of Haifa, p. s.v. שׂטן
  9. ^ a b Klein, Ernest (1987), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta; Haifa: University of Haifa, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  10. ^ a b c d e f Gesenius, Wilhelm; Buhl, Frants (1915), Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das Alte Testament, 17th ed., Leipzig: F. C. W. Vogel, p. s.v. שׂטן
  11. ^ a b Sokoloff, Michael (2009), A Syriac Lexicon, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns; Piscataway: Gorgias Press, p. 996
  12. ^ a b Abegg, Martin G.; Jacobs, Jarod; Roorda, Dirk (2022), The Dead Sea Scrolls, Text-Fabric dataset, version 2.0.2, github.com/ETCBC/dss
  13. ^ Jastrow, Marcus (1886–1903), A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London: Luzac; New York: Putnam, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  14. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  15. ^ a b Sáenz-Badillos, Angel (1993), A History of the Hebrew Language, transl. John Elwolde, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 93
  16. ^ Sáenz-Badillos, Angel (1993), A History of the Hebrew Language, transl. John Elwolde, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 143
  17. ^ de Blois, Reinier, ed. (2000–), Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, United Bible Societies, sdbh.org, p. s.v. שָׂטָן
  18. ^ Holladay, William L. (1971), A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. שׂטן
  19. ^ Jastrow, Marcus (1886–1903), A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London: Luzac; New York: Putnam, p. s.v. שָׂטַן
  20. ^ de Blois, Reinier, ed. (2000–), Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, United Bible Societies, sdbh.org, p. s.v. שׂטן

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“שטן.” Etymologically, 1 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/hbo/%D7%A9%D7%98%D7%9F. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·