Question:
I would like to know what the word satan means as a verb and noun and how it determines the role of one who is a satan or the satan according to the Jewish view.
Answer:
The word Satan as a verb means to “impede”, or to block or stop. We see this in Bamidbar/Numbers chapter 22 verse 22, Where God send an angel to stop Bila from going to Moab.
The word Satan as a noun refers to the angle that is meant to block people from doing God’s will, (according to Jewish tradition it is in order that we should receive a greater reward for the good deeds that we do). Therefore both the noun and the verb really have a similar meaning.
