H3784 H3784
To practice sorcery or witchcraft; a Piel denominative verb for illicit magical arts, always condemned.
A Piel denominative verb designating the practice of sorcery, always presented negatively in Scripture. The feminine participle mekhashshephah ('sorceress') appears in the famous prohibition of Exodus 22:18, while the masculine plural designates foreign court magicians in Egypt (Exod 7:11) and Babylon (Dan 2:2). Manasseh's practice of sorcery is listed among his catalogue of abominations (2 Chr 33:6). Spanish hechicero/hechicera and English 'sorcerer/sorceress' consistently render this term across translations. The Akkadian cognate kasapu confirms that this was recognized as a distinct category of magical practice throughout the ancient Near East.
Senses
1. practice sorcery — To engage in sorcery or witchcraft as an illicit magical practice. Used as a participle-noun for practitioners: the sorceress who must not live (Exod 22:18), the Egyptian magicians who replicated Moses' signs (Exod 7:11), Babylon's court sorcerers summoned by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:2), and the forbidden diviner of Deuteronomy 18:10. The finite verb appears once of King Manasseh, who 'practiced sorcery' among his many abominations (2 Chr 33:6). Malachi 3:5 places sorcerers alongside adulterers and perjurers in God's coming judgment. Spanish hechicero and Korean 마술사 both reflect the universal recognition of this as a distinct category of forbidden magical art. 6×
AR["ساحِرَةً", "عَلَى-السَّحَرَةِ", "وَ-الـ-عَرَّافِينَ", "وَ-سَاحِرٌ", "وَ-سَحَرَ", "وَالسَّحَرَةَ"]·ben["এবং-মায়াবীদের", "এবং-যাদুকর", "ও-জাদু-করলেন", "ও-যাদুকরদের-কাছে", "জাদুকরদের-বিরুদ্ধে", "ডাইনীকে"]·DE["[במכשפים]", "[וכשף]", "[ולמכשפים]", "ein-sorceress", "oder-eins-practicing-witchcraft", "und-zu-der-Zauberer"]·EN["a-sorceress", "against-the-sorcerers", "and-for-the-sorcerers", "and-he-practiced-witchcraft", "and-to-the-sorcerers", "or-one-practicing-witchcraft"]·FR["[וכשף]", "et-pratiquer-la-sorcellerie", "et-à-le-sorcerers", "ou-un-practicing-witchcraft", "pratiquer-la-sorcellerie", "une-sorcière"]·heb["ב-מכשפים", "ו-כשף", "ו-ל-מכשפים", "ו-מכשף", "מכשפה"]·HI["और-को-जादूगरों", "और-टोनहा", "और-टोनहियों-को", "और-टोना-किया", "जादूगरनी", "में-टोन्हियों"]·ID["Tukang sihir perempuan", "dan-ahli-ahli-sihir", "dan-ahli-tenung", "dan-menyihir", "dan-penyihir", "terhadap-para-tukang-sihir"]·IT["[במכשפים]", "[וכשף]", "[ולמכשפים]", "e-a-il-sorcerers", "o-uno-practicing-witchcraft", "un-sorceress"]·jav["Tiyang-èstri-dukun-sihir", "dhumateng-kang-sihir", "lan-dhateng-tukang-sihir", "lan-kang-para-tukang-sihir", "lan-nindakaken-japa", "lan-tukang-dhukun"]·KO["그리고-그-마법사들과", "그리고-그-마술사들을", "그리고-마법을-했다", "그리고-요술사를", "마녀를", "에-마법사들"]·PT["Feiticeira", "contra-os-feiticeiros", "e-aos-feitiçeiros", "e-feiticeiro", "e-os-feiticeiros", "e-praticou-feitiçaria"]·RU["Ворожейку", "и-колдовал", "и-колдун", "и-колдунов", "и-чародеев", "против-чародеев"]·ES["Hechicera", "contra-los-hechiceros", "o-hechicero", "y-a-los-hechiceros", "y-hechizó"]·SW["Mchawi", "au-mlozi", "dhidi-ya-wachawi", "na-wachawi", "na-wapiga-ramli", "wkisheּp"]·TR["-büyücülere-karşı", "büyücü-kadın", "ve-büyü-yaptı", "ve-büyücü", "ve-büyücüleri", "ve-falcıları"]·urd["اور-ال-جادوگروں-کو", "اور-جادوگر", "اور-جادوگروں-کو", "اور-ٹونہ-کیا", "جادوگرنی", "جادوگروں-کے-خلاف"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כִּשֵּׁף vb. Pi. denom. practice sorcery (Assyrian kašâpu, id.);—Pf. 3 ms.: וְעוֹנֵן וְנִחֵשׁ וְכִשֵּׁף וְעָשָׂה אוֹב וְיִדְּעוֹנִ֑י 2 Ch 33:6 (of Manasseh); elsewhere only Pt. as subst. ms. sorcerer, in Israel, מְכַשֵּׁף Dt 18:10 (following קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ); fs. מְכַשֵּׁפָה = sorceress Ex 22:17 (E); mpl. מְכַשְּׁפִים Mal 3:5 (named with adulterers and false-swearers); of…