Word Study
ASTROLOGY - (Hebrews = ashshaph) is plainly prohibited, as in Moloch worship, Saturn worship, the worship of the golden calf, and the worship of the host of heaven - Deut. 18:9-11; 4:19; 17:2-7; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6; Isa. 47:13; Jer. 8:1-3; 10:2; 19:13; Dan. 1:20; 2:2,10,27; 5:7,11,15; Zephaniah 1:4-6; 2 Kings 17:16; 23:4; Acts 7:42-43
SOOTHSAYING - (Hebrews = 'anan' , "to observe the clouds", and 'gezar' = 'seer') is prohibited. 'Anan' is said by some to mean 'augury,' - observing the movements of animals and birds," while 'gezar' literally means "cutter," - i.e., dividing the heavens or cutting animals open to examine the live and entrails. Jer. 27:9; Isa. 57:3 (sorceress), Isa. 2:6; Micah 5:12; Dan. 2:27; 4:7; 5:7,11; Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10-14; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chron. 33:6
DIVINATION - (hebrews qosem; greek = puthen) which is knowledge by direct interrogation of the spirits. Is forbidden. This would prohibit cartomancy (divination by card laying) ornithomancy (study of the activity of birds to foretell future); studying the arrangements of dregs in a cup, the interpretation of dreams, rhabdomancy and crystallomancy *using mirror or crystal ball, or pond water) to see into the future. Deut. 18:10-14; Numbers 22:9; 23:23; 2 Kings 17:17; Jer. 14:14; Ezek. 12:24 Ezek. 13:6-9; 21:22-29; 22:38; 1 Sam. 6:2; 15:23; Isa. 44:25; Jer. 27:9; 29:8; Zechariah 10:2; Micah 3:6-11; Acts 16:16f; Genesis 44:1-5.
ENCHANTMENTS (Hebrew = nachash) is closely akin to 'snake,' and perhaps signifies a snake-charmer or one who fascinates like a snake\. The word is used in connection with Joseph's divining cup (Gen. 44:1-4) and its use i akin to the more modern crystal-gazing with the hypnotic state induced by prolonged staring. Gen. 30:27 (Laban's knowledge attributed to this), Deut. 18:10-14; Acts 19:19; 2 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chron. 33:6; Numbers 23:23 and 24:1 (Balaam found enchantment and divination impotent against the people of God - 1 Kings 21:30).
HEPATOSCOPY - divination by 'studying the liver of an animal) - akin to haruscopy, the study of the entrails of the animal, is referred to in Ezek. 21:21.
RHABDOMANCY - cp. Hosea 1:12; Ezek. 8:17 - divination by a rod or wand - especially for discovering underground water or metal.
TERAPHIM - household idols (sometimes life-size - 1 Sam. 19:13,16). and sometimes miniature (Gen. 31:34-35). Involved was either ancestor worship ((today crystal balls are used more often to try to communicate with such ancestors) - anyway is condemned - 1 Sam. 15:23; Ezek. 21:21; Zech. 10:2; 1 Kings 23:245; Gen. 31:19-35; 1 Sam. 19:13-19; (here called images), Judges 17:5; 18:14-20; Hosea 3:4.
WIZARD - (yidh'oni = "one who knows") is a male or female sorcerer - Lev. 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:10-11; 1 Sam. 28:3, 9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24-26; 2 Chron. 33:6; Isa. 8:19; 19:3.
CHARMER - Heb = chabar, "one who inflicts a spell, one who binds with magical charms. Acts 19:13-20 (the Ephesian letters were likely the magical formula used to 'charm') - Isa. 19:3; 47:9,12; Deut. 18;11 (spells), and Psalm 58:5.
AMULETS - Hebrew = kemia', something tied to a person, and lehashim = "something whispered or muttered over". were objects that had been blessed and then were worn as a good-luck charm. Gems, rings, herbs, seeds, and bracelets have been so used. The Bible's attitude toward such is always negative - Isa. 3:16-26 (amulets worn by women, moonlets and sunlets are like that which is still seen on Arab girls), Isa. 3:20 (LXX has peridexis, armlets for the right arm), Prov. 17:8; Eccl. 10:11; Gen. 35:4 (Jacob burned amulets at Bethel).
MAGICIANS (Hebrews = chartom) were men who used occult rituals and processes designed to control or influence the course of nature or to dominate men by the aid of supernatural power. It is uniformly condemned. (cp. also sorcerer). Gen. 41:8, 24 - Pharaoh called magicians to interpret his dreams), Ex. 7:11, 24 (magicians of Egypt opposed God, and couldn't work a genuine miracle ); Ex. 8:18 (here is 'lehashim" - to wrap or, or muffle -- there was some hidden element or trickery to their deeds of magic), Ex. 8:7, 19; 9:11; Can. 1:20 (the king found Daniel with the Holy Spirit to be ten times better in every matter of wisdom and understanding than all the magicians and conjurers in his realm); Dan. 2:2, 10, 17; 4:7, 9; 5:11.
CONSULTERS OF FAMILIAR SPIRITS - Heb. obh; Greek - engastrimuthos) - everywhere condemned. Lev. 19:31; 20:6, 27 (the spirit dwelt in the medium?); Deut. 18:11; 1 Sam. 28:3, 7-9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24-26; 2 Chron. 33:6; Isa. 8:19ff; 19:3; 29:4.
NECROMANCY (Hebrews = darash 'el ha-methim = to call up spirits of the dead. Is likewise prohibited. The word means to converse with the dead for purpose of consultation or divination. Deut. 18:11; 1 Sam. 15:23; Ezek. 21:21; Zech. 10:2; Isa. 8:19; 1 Sam. 28:7; Lev. 19:31; 1 Chron. 10:13; (the passage affirms that King Saul died BECAUSE he consulted a medium!!!).
SORCERY - greek = pharmekeia from which we get 'pharmacy' or drugs. See Gal. 5:20; Rev. 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15.
SORCERY - hebrews, kashshaph, greek = magike) would involve what we today have come to call levitation, apports, materializations, psycokinesis, and the like. God's attitude toward those who see supernatural power and knowledge from the spirits is clearly delineated in these verses: Ex. 7:11; 22:18; Isa. 47:9,12, Jer 27:9; 2 Kings (:22 (Jezebel is condemned as a sorceress), 2 Chron. 33:6; Deut. 18:10-11; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4; Malachi 3:5; Acts 8:9-13 (Simon could see that satan's 'miracles' were second rate - frauds). Acts 13:8-11; 19:1`9 (where the greek is periergeia).
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