H3908 H3908
Whispering, charming, incantation; a whispered spell, amulet, or hushed prayer, spanning magic and devotion.
A masculine noun meaning 'whispering' or 'charming,' covering a surprisingly wide semantic range from snake-charming spells to whispered prayers. Jeremiah 8:17 and Ecclesiastes 10:11 use it for serpent-charming—the whispered incantation that controls venomous snakes. Isaiah 3:3 applies it to the 'skilled enchanter' among Jerusalem's leaders, while Isaiah 3:20 lists lachashim as amulets or charm-jewelry worn by the women of Zion. Most strikingly, Isaiah 26:16 uses it for a 'whispered prayer' poured out in distress. Spanish captures this range vividly: 'encantamiento' for magical incantation and 'susurro' for whispered prayer.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Serpent-charming or magical incantation—a whispered spell used to control snakes or exercise occult power. Jer 8:17 warns of serpents that cannot be charmed by any lachash, and Eccl 10:11 observes that a snake that bites before being charmed renders the charmer useless. Isa 3:3 extends this to human expertise: the 'skilled in incantation' is listed among Jerusalem's social pillars. Spanish 'encantamiento' and French cognate forms capture the magical dimension of whispering with intent to control. 5×
AR["العِرَافَةِ", "رُقْيَةٌ", "لَحَشْ", "هَمْسَاتٍ", "وَ-التَّمَائِمِ"]·ben["ও-তাবিজের", "কুজন", "মন্ত্র", "মন্ত্রের"]·DE["[והלחשים]", "[לחש]"]·EN["a-charm", "a-whispered-prayer", "charm"]·FR["[והלחשים]", "[לחש]", "לחש"]·heb["ו-ה-לחשים", "לחש"]·HI["और-तावीज़", "फुसफुसाहट", "मंत्र", "मंत्रों-में", "मन्त्र"]·ID["bisikan", "dan-jimat-jimat", "jampi", "jampi-jampi", "mantera"]·IT["e-incantesimo", "incantesimo", "un-charm"]·jav["japa", "japa-mantra", "lan-jimat", "samun"]·KO["부림이", "부적들을", "속삭임을", "주문", "주문을"]·PT["e-os-amuletos", "encantamento", "sussurro"]·RU["в-заклинании", "заговора", "заклинания,", "и-амулеты", "шёпот"]·ES["de-encantamientos", "encantamiento", "susurro", "y-los-amuletos"]·SW["na-hirizi", "sala-ya-siri", "uchawi"]·TR["buyu", "buyunun", "büyü", "fisiltisini", "ve-muskalari"]·urd["اور-تعویذوں", "جادو-کا", "دعا", "منتر"]
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
† לַ֫חַשׁ n.[m.] a whispering, charming;—ל׳ Is 26:16; לָ֑חַשׁ Ec 10:11 Is 3:3 Je 8:17; pl. לְחָשִׁים Is 3:20.— 1. serpent-charming Je 8:17 Ec 10:11; לָ֑חַשׁ נְבוֹן Is 3:3 (prob. general). 2. charms, amulets, worn by women, Is 3:20. 3. whisper of prayer, צָקוּן לַחַשׁ Is 26:16 they pour forth a whisper of prayer (but Koppe Bö Gr Di Du read צְקוֹן לַחַשׁ ‘Zauberzwang,’ compulsion of (by) magic).