What does שָׂטַן mean in the Bible?
שָׂטַן is a Hebrew word meaning "to attack , (figuratively) accuse".
Hebrew · H7853
שָׂטַן
To attack , (figuratively) accuse
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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שָׂטַן H7853
What does שָׂטַן mean in the Bible?
שָׂטַן is a Hebrew word meaning "to attack , (figuratively) accuse".
Full entry for שָׂטַן (H7853) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7853?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include attack me (1), May my accusers (1), May the accusers (1), they accuse me (1), to accuse him (1).
Where does שָׂטַן appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Psalms 38:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (5), Zechariah (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It attack me 1× Psalms 38:20
May my accusers 1× Psalms 109:29
May the accusers 1× Psalms 71:13
they accuse me 1× Psalms 109:4
to accuse him 1× Zechariah 3:1
to my accusers 1× Psalms 109:20
Show sample aligned rows
Psalms 38:20 יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי to attack me Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular Psalms 71:13 שֹׂטְנֵ֪י to May the accusers Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Psalms 109:4 יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי to they accuse me Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular Psalms 109:20 שֹׂ֭טְנַי to to my accusers Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Psalms 109:29 שׂוֹטְנַ֣י to May my accusers Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Zechariah 3:1 לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ׃ to to accuse him Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Psalms 38:20
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 2
Psalms 5 Zechariah 1
Source forms
יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי 1x yiś·ṭə·nū·nî Psalms 38:20
יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי 1x yiś·ṭə·nū·nî Psalms 109:4
לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ׃ 1x lə·śiṭ·nōw Zechariah 3:1
שׂוֹטְנַ֣י 1x śō·wṭ·nay Psalms 109:29
שֹׂטְנֵ֪י 1x śō·ṭə·nê Psalms 71:13
שֹׂ֭טְנַי 1x śō·ṭə·nai Psalms 109:20
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular 2x Psalms 38:20, Psalms 109:4
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 2x Psalms 109:20, Psalms 109:29
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular 1x Zechariah 3:1
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 1x Psalms 71:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to attack , (figuratively) accuse
Source Gloss
to attack , (figuratively) accuse
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to attack, (figuratively) accuse Usage: (be an) adversary, resist.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 1
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Participle active Ps 71:13 1×
Word Origins
שָׂטַן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain