Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Sarid
(survivor), a chief landmark of the territory of Zebulun. (Joshua 19:10,12) All that can be
gathered of its position is that it lay to the west of Chislothtabor.
Saron
the district in which Lydda stood, (Acts 9:35) only; the Sharon of the Old Testament. [Sharon]
Sarothie
are among the sons of the servants of Solomon who returned with Zerubbabel. 1 Esd. 6:34.
Sarsechim
(prince of the eunuchs), one of the generals of Nebuchadnezzar’s army at the taking of Jerusalem.
(Jeremiah 39:3) (B.C. 588.)
Saruch
(Luke 3:25) Serug the son of Reu.
Satan
The word itself, the Hebrew satan, is simply an “adversary,” and is so used in (1 Samuel 29:4;
2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 6:4; 11:14,23,25; Numbers 22:22,33; Psalms 109:6) This original sense
is still found in our Lord’s application of the name to St. Peter in (Matthew 16:23) It is used as a
proper name or title only four times in the Old Testament, vis. (with the article) in (Job 1:6; 12;
2:1; Zechariah 2:1) and without the article in (1 Chronicles 21:1) It is with the scriptural revelation
on the subject that we are here concerned; and it is clear, from this simple enumeration of passages,
that it is to be sought in the New rather than in the Old Testament. I. The personal existence of a
spirit of evil is clearly revealed in Scripture; but the revelation is made gradually, in accordance
with the progressiveness of God’s method. In the first entrance of evil into the world, the temptation
is referred only to the serpent. In the book of Job we find for the first time a distinct mention of
“Satan” the “adversary” of Job. But it is important to remark the emphatic stress laid on his
subordinate position, on the absence of all but delegated power, of all terror and all grandeur in his
character. It is especially remarkable that no power of spiritual influence, but only a power over
outward circumstances, is attributed to him. The captivity brought the Israelites face to face with
the great dualism of the Persian mythology, the conflict of Ormuzd with Ahriman, the co-ordinate
spirit of evil; but it is confessed by all that the Satan of Scripture bears no resemblance to the Persian
Ahriman. His subordination and inferiority are as strongly marked as ever. The New Testament
brings plainly forward the power and the influence of Satan, From the beginning of the Gospel,
when he appears as the personal tempter of our Lord through all the Gospels, Epistles, and
Apocalypse, it is asserted or implied, again and again, as a familiar and important truth. II. Of the
nature and original state of Satan, little is revealed in Scripture. He is spoken of as a “spirit” in
(Ephesians 2:2) as the prince or ruler of the “demons” in (Matthew 12:24-26) and as having “angels”
subject to him in (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7,9) The whole description of his power implies
spiritual nature and spiritual influence. We conclude therefore that he was of angelic nature, a
rational and spiritual creature, superhuman in power, wisdom and energy; and not only so, but an
archangel, one of the “princes” of heaven. We cannot, of course, conceive that anything essentially
and originally evil was created by God. We can only conjecture, therefore, that Satan is a fallen
angel, who once had a time of probation, but whose condemnation is now irrevocably fixed. As to
the time cause and manner of his fall Scripture tells us scarcely anything; but it describes to us
distinctly the moral nature of the evil one. The ideal of goodness is made up of the three great moral
attributes of God—love, truth, and purity or holiness; combined with that spirit which is the natural
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William Smith