If Satan was arround, I’d definately want him in front of me so I can see what he is up to. So why is the saying “Get thee behind me Satan”?
After all you throw spilled salt over your left sholder to stop Satan from sneaking up on you so it is clear the old goat is a back stabber.
It’s a quote from the Bible:
You’ll have to ask Him
Modern (completely incorrect) interpretations:
a) get out of my face, Satan
b) get behind me and kiss my ass, Satan
c) get on my side Satan (I’ve got Satan’s backing) [totally antithetical to original sense of the statement, of course]
You’re being way too literal on this. Try a different translation:
It’s a metaphor for “go away, I reject you, I put my god in front of you. I’m putting you out of my mind.”
Well Jesus can say “Get thee behind me Satan” since Jesus could easily beat Satan if he wanted to. Foolish mortals, don’t know what they are asking for when they ask old nick to get behind them.
I still don’t get the intended interpretation. The only way I have ever heard this used is to mean, “Don’t tempt me,” as when someone is in a situation where they wish to resist an obvious temptation. As when someone is being a real idiot but you fight the temptation to kick their ass, while murmuring “Get thee behind me Satan.” That doesn’t seem to fit the biblical quotes linked above.
I always interpreted it thus: When you put Satan ‘behind’ you you’re moving on…moving forward and he’s no longer a part of your plans for moving on.
That’s the way I heard it. Not “behind me” like “right there looking over my shoulder” behind me, but “behind me” as “in the past, left on the side of the road, walkin’ on to the promised land, putting Satan in the dust” behind me.
Of course, there’s the interpretation: “When a man says, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan,’ he’s probably ashamed to have even the devil see what he’s up to.”