The Etymology of Satan
The word 'Satan' began as a Hebrew common noun meaning 'adversary' or 'accuser.' In the Book of Numbers, a 'satan' is simply an angel blocking Balaam's path. In Job, 'ha-satan' (the accuser) is a member of God's own court whose role is prosecutorial — testing Job's faithfulness on God's behalf. The figure is no more evil than a modern barrister cross-examining a witness. The dramatic transformation into a personal name for cosmic evil happened during the Second Temple period, when Jewish thinkers encountered Persian Zoroastrian dualism — the idea of a supreme evil force opposing a supreme good force. Greek and Latin adopted the Hebrew word almost unchanged, and it entered Old English directly from Latin scripture.