---
title: שָׂטַן — be adversary · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׂטַן (7853), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 6 times: be adversary. BDB 1906: vb.denom. act as adversary. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שָׂטַן

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«שָׂטַן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be adversary** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 6 times · **Key:** 7853 · **BDB:** שָׂטַן

### Glosses

they (2); \[those (1); \[those.who\].accuse (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be adversary [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7853/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb.denom. act as adversary [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7853/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb.denom. (Gerber30) be or act as adversary;— Impf. 3 mpl. sf. יִשְׂטְנוּנִי ψ 38:21; 109:4; Inf. cstr. sf. לְשִׂטְנוֹ Zc 3:1; Pt. pl. cstr. שֹטְנֵי ψ 71:13, sf. שֹטְנַי 109:20, שׂוֹטְנַי v 29.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 6 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׂטַן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7853/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 109:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.109.4/)

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תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* in.place.of love my they accuse.me and I \[am\].prayer

*JPS 1917:* In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.

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[Psalms 38:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.38.21/)

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וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רָֽדְפִי־טֽוֹב׃

*Word for word:* and \[those.who\].repay (of).evil in.place.of good they accuse.me in.place.of pursuing my good

*JPS 1917:* They also that repay evil for good are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.

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