The Satan
How God's Executioner Became the Enemy
Author Ryan E. Stokes Foreword by John J. Collins ISBN 9780802872500 Binding Trade Paper Publisher WM B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Publication Date July 09, 2019 Size 152 x 229 mm
Many people today think of Satan as a little red demon with a pointy tail and a pitchfork—but this vision of the devil developed over many centuries and would be foreign to the writers of the Ol
Many people today think of Satan as a little red demon with a pointy tail and a pitchfork—but this vision of the devil developed over many centuries and would be foreign to the writers of the Old Testament, where this figure makes his first appearances. The earliest texts that mention the Satan—it is always “the Satan” in the Old Testament—portray him as an agent of Yahweh, serving as an executioner of evildoers. But over the course of time, the Satan came to be regarded more as God’s enemy than God’s agent and was blamed for a host of problems.
Biblical scholar Ryan E. Stokes explains the development of the Satan tradition in the Hebrew scriptures and the writings of early Judaism, describing the interpretive and creative processes that transformed an agent of Yahweh into the archenemy of good. He explores how the idea of a heavenly Satan figure factored into the problem of evil and received the blame for all that is wrong in the world.
The Journal of Theological Studies
“The book may well induce a paradigm shift on the function of the Satan in early Jewish literature.”
Society for Old Testament Study Book List
“[Stokes has produced a valuable study that is both informative and highly readable.”
Calvin Theological Journal
“The Satan is an excellent, authoritative guide for those studying the historical development of Satan, and a must for pastors and professors teaching on the biblical texts that mention the Satan in the Old and New Testaments.”
Review of Biblical Literature
“The book is extremely valuable for the study of Satan, and the contents highlight and bring together helpful insights from a wide range of Jewish texts.”
Interpretation
“This is an excellent monograph, and an important update to earlier works, especially in looking at the origins of the Satan character in the pre-Christian context.”
“Stokes has written the most thorough treatment of Satan in ancient Jewish literature to date. Beginning in the Hebrew Bible, continuing with the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Second Temple period literature, and concluding with the New Testament, Stokes masterfully chronicles the development of the figure of Satan from God’s executioner to God’s enemy. The definitive handbook for years to come!”
—Sidnie White Crawford, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
“People today are fascinated with the devil, also known as ‘the Satan.’ But there is a lot that they don’t know and a lot that they think they know that is simply not correct. Ryan Stokes has set the record straight in a fascinating and very readable study of the origin of Satan, from the earliest traditions in the Bible to the later and very diverse traditions we find inside and outside the Bible. Stokes provides readers with a reliable guide that will educate and fascinate.”
—Craig A. Evans, Houston Christian University
“Ryan Stokes provides an exceptionally careful, thorough, and exegetically perceptive reconsideration of all the significant texts that refer to the śātān and related figures in biblical and Second Temple literature. This is an essential item for the bookshelf of any serious student of the symbolism of evil in biblical and early Jewish literature. I will be studying it carefully and consulting it often.”
—Carol A. Newsom, Emory University
“Ryan Stokes offers a thorough analysis of the ways in which satan/Satan and other evil beings function in the wider biblical tradition. He deserves strong commendation for the careful, balanced, and enlightening way in which he has handled a large topic that touches directly upon basic issues such as the origin and nature of evil.”
—James C. VanderKam, University of Notre Dame
“Satan the deceiver and tempter, enemy of both God and humanity—most people are familiar with these traditional traits assigned to the devil. In this fascinating study, though, Ryan Stokes shows that these familiar roles represent a rather late development in Jewish and Christian thought. With meticulous research and a mastery of ancient literature, Stokes expertly widens the portfolio of a spiritual figure we thought we knew. And to top it all off, he writes in an engaging style that will make his book appealing not only to scholars but also to a general readership. A splendid achievement.”
—Daniel C. Harlow, Calvin University
“In this timely and very readable book, Ryan Stokes takes us on a journey that highlights how evil in Second Temple Judaism, from the Hebrew Bible through to the New Testament, could become understood as an active force in the world that undermines the well-being of God’s people. This treatment of ‘Satan’ is anything but one-sided: discourse about a prominent inimical power-wielding being is balanced by examination of texts that underscore human responsibility, sometimes in ways that complement rather than cancel each other out. Readers will find here much to ponder, and they will learn why this topic is so important for Judaeo-Christian perceptions of divine activity in the face of overwhelming corruption, irreparable consequences of wrongdoing, and inexplicable suffering.”
—Loren Stuckenbruck, University of Munich
View Review quote
“The book may well induce a paradigm shift on the function of the Satan in early Jewish literature.”
Society for Old Testament Study Book List
“[Stokes has produced a valuable study that is both informative and highly readable.”
Calvin Theological Journal
“The Satan is an excellent, authoritative guide for those studying the historical development of Satan, and a must for pastors and professors teaching on the biblical texts that mention the Satan in the Old and New Testaments.”
Review of Biblical Literature
“The book is extremely valuable for the study of Satan, and the contents highlight and bring together helpful insights from a wide range of Jewish texts.”
Interpretation
“This is an excellent monograph, and an important update to earlier works, especially in looking at the origins of the Satan character in the pre-Christian context.”
“Stokes has written the most thorough treatment of Satan in ancient Jewish literature to date. Beginning in the Hebrew Bible, continuing with the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Second Temple period literature, and concluding with the New Testament, Stokes masterfully chronicles the development of the figure of Satan from God’s executioner to God’s enemy. The definitive handbook for years to come!”
—Sidnie White Crawford, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
“People today are fascinated with the devil, also known as ‘the Satan.’ But there is a lot that they don’t know and a lot that they think they know that is simply not correct. Ryan Stokes has set the record straight in a fascinating and very readable study of the origin of Satan, from the earliest traditions in the Bible to the later and very diverse traditions we find inside and outside the Bible. Stokes provides readers with a reliable guide that will educate and fascinate.”
—Craig A. Evans, Houston Christian University
“Ryan Stokes provides an exceptionally careful, thorough, and exegetically perceptive reconsideration of all the significant texts that refer to the śātān and related figures in biblical and Second Temple literature. This is an essential item for the bookshelf of any serious student of the symbolism of evil in biblical and early Jewish literature. I will be studying it carefully and consulting it often.”
—Carol A. Newsom, Emory University
“Ryan Stokes offers a thorough analysis of the ways in which satan/Satan and other evil beings function in the wider biblical tradition. He deserves strong commendation for the careful, balanced, and enlightening way in which he has handled a large topic that touches directly upon basic issues such as the origin and nature of evil.”
—James C. VanderKam, University of Notre Dame
“Satan the deceiver and tempter, enemy of both God and humanity—most people are familiar with these traditional traits assigned to the devil. In this fascinating study, though, Ryan Stokes shows that these familiar roles represent a rather late development in Jewish and Christian thought. With meticulous research and a mastery of ancient literature, Stokes expertly widens the portfolio of a spiritual figure we thought we knew. And to top it all off, he writes in an engaging style that will make his book appealing not only to scholars but also to a general readership. A splendid achievement.”
—Daniel C. Harlow, Calvin University
“In this timely and very readable book, Ryan Stokes takes us on a journey that highlights how evil in Second Temple Judaism, from the Hebrew Bible through to the New Testament, could become understood as an active force in the world that undermines the well-being of God’s people. This treatment of ‘Satan’ is anything but one-sided: discourse about a prominent inimical power-wielding being is balanced by examination of texts that underscore human responsibility, sometimes in ways that complement rather than cancel each other out. Readers will find here much to ponder, and they will learn why this topic is so important for Judaeo-Christian perceptions of divine activity in the face of overwhelming corruption, irreparable consequences of wrongdoing, and inexplicable suffering.”
—Loren Stuckenbruck, University of Munich
Ryan Stokes is associate professor of biblical studies and director of the Master of Arts in Applied Theology program at Carson-Newman University. He has published widely on biblical and related literature and enjoys teaching students in the classroom, speaking at churches, and giving lectures to various audiences who are interested in learning about the Bible.