I am going to quote Elaine Pagels in her book; The Origin of Satan.
In the Hebrew Bible, as in mainstream Judaism today, Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know him, as a leader of an "evil empire," an army of hostile spirits who make war on God and humankind alike. As he first appears in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less opposed to God. On the contrary, he appears in the book of Numbers and in Job as one of God's obedient servants-a messenger, or angel, a word that translates the Hebrew term for messenger(mal'ak) into Greek(angelos). In Hebrew, the angels were often called "sons of God" (bene'elohim), and were envisioned as the hierarchical ranks of a great army, or the staff of a royal court.
In the biblical sources the Hebrew term the satan describes an adversarial role. It is not the same of a particular character. Although Hebrew storytellers as early as 6th century b.c. occasionally introduced a supernatural character whom they called the satan, what they meant was any one of the angels sent by God for the specific purpose of blocking or obstructing human acivity. The root stn means "one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary." The Greek term diabolos, later translated devil, literally means "one who throws something across ones' path."
The satan's presence in a story could help account for unexpected obstacles or reversals of fortune. Hebrew storytellers often attribute misfortune to sin. Some, however, also invoke this supernatural character, the satan, who, by God's own order or permission, blocks or opposes human plans and desires. But this messenger is not necessarily malevolent. God sends him, like the angel of death, to perform a specific task, although one that human beings may not appreciate. Thus the satan may have been sent by the Lord to protect a person from worse harm. The story of Balaam in the biblical book Numbers, for example, tells of a man who decided to go where the Lord had ordered him not to go. Balaam saddled the ass and set off. " but God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his satan" (le sa ta n lo) that is, as his adversary, or his obstructer.
numbers 22:23-25
In the Hebrew Bible, as in mainstream Judaism today, Satan never appears as Western Christendom has come to know him, as a leader of an "evil empire," an army of hostile spirits who make war on God and humankind alike. As he first appears in the Hebrew Bible, Satan is not necessarily evil, much less opposed to God. On the contrary, he appears in the book of Numbers and in Job as one of God's obedient servants-a messenger, or angel, a word that translates the Hebrew term for messenger(mal'ak) into Greek(angelos). In Hebrew, the angels were often called "sons of God" (bene'elohim), and were envisioned as the hierarchical ranks of a great army, or the staff of a royal court.
In the biblical sources the Hebrew term the satan describes an adversarial role. It is not the same of a particular character. Although Hebrew storytellers as early as 6th century b.c. occasionally introduced a supernatural character whom they called the satan, what they meant was any one of the angels sent by God for the specific purpose of blocking or obstructing human acivity. The root stn means "one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary." The Greek term diabolos, later translated devil, literally means "one who throws something across ones' path."
The satan's presence in a story could help account for unexpected obstacles or reversals of fortune. Hebrew storytellers often attribute misfortune to sin. Some, however, also invoke this supernatural character, the satan, who, by God's own order or permission, blocks or opposes human plans and desires. But this messenger is not necessarily malevolent. God sends him, like the angel of death, to perform a specific task, although one that human beings may not appreciate. Thus the satan may have been sent by the Lord to protect a person from worse harm. The story of Balaam in the biblical book Numbers, for example, tells of a man who decided to go where the Lord had ordered him not to go. Balaam saddled the ass and set off. " but God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his satan" (le sa ta n lo) that is, as his adversary, or his obstructer.
numbers 22:23-25
A true bible study can not ignore the history and the history serves to strengthen the truth that lies in the wisdom of the words. 