![]() ![]() ![]() God permits Satan to take away Job’s wealth, kill his family and afflict him physically, none of which induces Job to rebel against God. Take those away, Satan claims, and Job will blaspheme. According to the biblical narrative, Satan - here too commonly translated as the Adversary - seems to urge God to create hardship for his righteous servant Job, arguing that Job is faithful only on account of his wealth and good fortune. The other is in the Book of Job, where Satan has a central role in the story as an angel in the divine court. One is a brief reference in the Book of Zecharia, where the high priest is described as standing before a divine angel while Satan stands at his right to accuse him. Only twice in the Hebrew Bible does Satan appear as a specific figure, as HaSatan - the Satan. The term appears in multiple other instances in the Prophets, often in a similar context - referring not to a specific figure as the Satan, but rather as a descriptor for individuals who act as a satan, i.e. When Balaam goes with Balak’s emissaries, God places an angel in his path “l’satan lo” - as an adversary for him. The word appears just twice in the Torah, both times in the story of Balaam, the seer who is asked by the Moabite king Balak to curse the Jews. The Bible contains multiple references to Satan. Kabbalistic sources expand the view of Satan considerably, offering a rich and detailed portrayal of the demonic realm and the forces of evil in the world, which are to be warded off in some cases with various forms of magic, from amulets to exorcisms. He is also sometimes regarded as a heavenly prosecutor or accuser, a view given expression in the Book of Job, where Satan encourages God to test his servant. In Hebrew, the term Satan is usually translated as “opponent” or “adversary,” and he is often understood to represent the sinful impulse (in Hebrew, yetzer hara) or, more generally, the forces that prevents human beings from submitting to divine will. Satan appears in the Bible, was discussed by the rabbis of the Talmud and is explored in detail in Jewish mysticism, or Kabbalah. Jewish sources on the whole don’t dwell as much on the satanic, but the concept is nonetheless explored in numerous texts. Satan occupies a prominent place in Christianity, which generally regards him as a rebellious angel and the source of evil who will meet his ultimate demise in battle at the End of Days. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate ![]()
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