H6049b H6049b
To practice soothsaying, divination, or sorcery; a forbidden occult practice associated with pagan nations.
A Poel verbal form denoting the practice of soothsaying or divination, consistently condemned in Israelite law. Leviticus 19:26 prohibits this alongside other occult practices, and Deuteronomy 18:10-14 lists the meʿonen ('soothsayer') among the abominations of the Canaanite nations that Israel must not imitate. The term's etymology remains debated—possibly connected to ʿayin ('eye,' suggesting observation of omens) or to an Arabic root meaning 'nasal hum' (suggesting incantation). Both Manasseh (2 Kgs 21:6; 2 Chr 33:6) and the nations around Israel are condemned for this practice. Spanish 'adivinos'/'agoreros' and English 'diviners'/'soothsayers' capture the mantic character of the activity.
Senses
1. practice divination, soothsaying — To engage in soothsaying, divination, or omen-reading, a practice strictly forbidden in Israelite Torah legislation (Lev 19:26; Deut 18:10, 14). The participle meʿonen designates the practitioner as a professional soothsayer, listed alongside sorcerers, enchanters, and necromancers in Deuteronomy's catalog of Canaanite abominations. Manasseh's adoption of this practice epitomizes royal apostasy (2 Kgs 21:6 = 2 Chr 33:6). The 'Diviners' Oak' near Shechem (Judg 9:37) preserves a toponym linked to this activity. Spanish 'agorero' (omen-reader) nicely captures the observational dimension, while English 'soothsayer' and 'diviner' emphasize the predictive aspect. 10×
AR["-الْعَرَّافَةِ", "الـ-عَرَّافِينَ", "الْمُتَفَائِلِينَ", "تَتَشَاءَمُونَ", "مُتَطَيِّرِيكُمْ", "مُتَفَائِلٌ", "وَ-تَفَاءَلَ", "وَ-عَرَّافُونَ", "وَالْعَرَّافُونَ", "وَعَافَ"]·ben["এবং-মন্ত্রবিদরা", "এবং-মেঘ-গণনা-করলেন", "ও-মন্ত্রবিদদের", "ও-শকুন-দেখলেন", "জাদুকরদের", "দৈবজ্ঞ", "দৈবজ্ঞদের", "ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী-করবে", "মেঘ-দর্শকদের-তোমাদের", "যাদুকরীর"]·DE["[ומעוננים]", "[ועונן]", "[ועננים]", "[עננה]", "[ענניכם]", "der-diviners", "eins-practicing-soothsaying", "practice-soothsaying", "soothsayers", "und-er-practiced-divination"]·EN["and-diviners", "and-he-practiced-divination", "and-soothsayers", "one-practicing-soothsaying", "practice-soothsaying", "soothsayers", "sorceress", "the-diviners", "your-soothsayers"]·FR["[ועונן]", "[ועננים]", "[עננה]", "[ענניכם]", "et-il-practiced-divination", "et-pratiquer-la-magie", "le-diviners", "practice-soothsaying", "soothsayers", "un-practicing-soothsaying"]·heb["ו-מעוננים", "ו-עונן", "ו-עוננים", "מעונן", "מעוננים", "עוננה", "עונניכם", "תעוננו"]·HI["अपने-ज्योतिषियों-की", "और-उसने-शकुन-लिया", "और-भविष्यवक्ता", "और-भाग्य-बताने-वाले", "जादूगरनीके", "जादूगरों-के", "वे-जादू-किया", "शकुन-बताने-वाला", "शकुन-बताने-वालों", "शगुन-लोगे"]·ID["dan-ia-meramal", "dan-meramal", "dan-peramal", "dan-peramal-peramal", "kamu-menenung", "para-peramal", "tukang-amal", "tukang-tenung", "yang-mengamal"]·IT["[ומעוננים]", "[ועונן]", "[ועננים]", "[עננה]", "[ענניכם]", "e-egli-praticò-divination", "il-diviners", "practice-soothsaying", "soothsayers", "uno-practicing-soothsaying"]·jav["juru-ramal-panjenengan-sedaya", "lan-dukun", "lan-dukun-dukun", "lan-nindakaken-sihir", "lan-nindakaken-tenung", "ngramal", "tiyang-nujum", "tukang-mbatang", "tukang-tenung"]·KO["그리고-관상했다", "그리고-점을-쳤다", "그리고-점쟁이들-이", "너희의-관상쟁이들", "마법할-것이다-너희는", "점쟁이들-의", "점쟁이들과", "점쟁이들이", "점쟁이를", "점쟁이의"]·PT["adivinhadora", "adivinhadores", "agourando", "agourareis", "agoureiros", "e-adivinhadores", "e-adivinhos", "e-praticou-adivinhação", "vossos-agoureiros"]·RU["волхвов", "ворожащий", "ворожей", "ворожите", "и-гадал", "и-гадатели", "колдуньи", "прорицателей-ваших"]·ES["adivinos", "agorero", "agoreros", "hechicera", "practicaréis-hechicería", "vuestros-agüreros", "y-adivinos", "y-practicó-adivinación"]·SW["Waaguzi", "msomaji-wa-nyakati", "mtafanya-uchawi", "na-akafanya-uaguzi", "na-waaguzi", "na-watabiri", "wa-mchawi", "wabashiri-wenu", "wasomaji-wa-nyakati", "wwonen"]·TR["buyuculugun", "büyü-yapan", "büyü-yapanlara", "falcıların", "kehanet-edeceksiniz", "kehanetle-uğraşanlarınızı", "ve-fal-baktı", "ve-falcilar", "ve-falcılar"]·urd["اور-فال-نکالا", "اور-فالگیر", "جادوگرنی-کے", "شگون-لو", "شگون-لینے-والا", "شگون-لینے-والوں", "شگون-لینے-والوں-اپنے", "فال-گیروں-کے۔"]
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
† II. [עָנַן] vb. Pōʿ. practise soothsaying (prob. denom., but orig. meaning dub.; connex. with i. עָנָן (De Is 2:6) now gen. abandoned; LöwZMG xxxi (1877), 539 cp. עַיִן eye, so WeSkizzen iii. 148 (but v. infr.); RSJPhil. xiv (1885), 119 f. cp. Arabic غُنَّةٌ nasal twang, hum of insects, whence diviners as crooning; Ew Gerber31 of diviner as interpreting hum of insects, whisper of leaves, etc.;…