Satan

Greek word - (satanas G4567)

Quiz - Choose the answer that is closest to what you think SATAN is.
A - an opponent
B - the name of the devil
C - an evil person
D - an accuser

Problem - Transliteration

KJV Example - "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:23).

Explanation

Satan is a transliteration of the Greek word, satanas, which is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for opponent. So opponent is the translation and Satan is the transliteration.

There is nothing wrong with using Satan for satanas. Transliterations are commonly used for names.

This is because as people travel from country to country, they do not change their name to match the native language. For example, my name is Ray. In English a ray is a beam of light. When I was a missionary in Russia, I did not change my name to looch, the Russian word for a beam of light. I went by Ray. Russians who did not know English knew my name but did not know what a ray is in English.

People in the New Testament world were familiar with Aramaic and knew that satanas meant opponent. Today, we don't. So I prefer using Opponent instead of Satan.

In Matthew 16:23 when Jesus speaks to Peter and says to get behind Him, most people think Jesus was speaking to Satan or calling Peter Satan. I believe He was simply calling Peter, a satanas, an opponent.

In the Bible, Satan is Opponent.

Modern Synonym - opponent

Bible Version Tally (how other versions translate this word) - Satan (49 of 50), adversary (1 of 50)

Breakthrough Version - "But when He turned, He said to Peter, 'Get down behind Me, opponent. You are an obstacle to Me because you do not focus on God's things, but on people's things.'" (Matthew 16:23).