3786. kashshaph

Lexicon

kashshaph: To practice sorcery, to practice witchcraft

Original Word: כַּשָּׁף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kashshaph
Pronunciation: kash-shaf'
Phonetic Spelling: (kash-shawf')
Definition: To practice sorcery, to practice witchcraft
Meaning: a magician

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

sorcerer

From kashaph; a magician -- sorcerer.

see HEBREW kashaph

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as kesheph
Definition
sorcerer
NASB Translation
sorcerers (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[כַּשָּׁף] noun masculine sorcerer, only plural suffix (Assyrian kassapu, id.; kassaptu, sorceress); — אַלתִּֿשְׁמְעוּ, וְאֶלכַּֿשָּֽׁפֵיכֶ֑ם אֶלנְֿבִיאֵיכֶם וְאֶלקֹֿסְמֵיכֶם וְאֶל חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶלעְֹֿנַנֵיכֶם

II. כשׁף (√ of following).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb כָּשַׁף (kashaph), which means "to practice sorcery" or "to use magic."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G5332: φαρμακεύς (pharmakeus) • a sorcerer or magician, one who prepares or uses magical potions.
• G5331: φαρμακεία (pharmakeia) • the use of medicine, drugs, or spells; sorcery or witchcraft.
• G5333: φαρμακός (pharmakos) • a sorcerer or magician, often used in the context of those who practice witchcraft or enchantments.

These Greek terms reflect similar concepts of magic and sorcery as found in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing the continuity of the biblical prohibition against such practices across both Testaments.

Usage: The term כַּשָּׁף is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to individuals who engage in magical practices, often in opposition to the worship of Yahweh. It is typically used in a negative context, highlighting the prohibition against such practices among the Israelites.

Context: The Hebrew term כַּשָּׁף (kashaph) appears in the Old Testament to describe individuals who engage in sorcery or magical practices. The practice of magic and sorcery was explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law, as seen in passages such as Deuteronomy 18:10-12, which warns against engaging in divination, witchcraft, or consulting with spirits. The term is often associated with pagan practices and is condemned as an abomination before God.

In the context of the ancient Near East, magicians or sorcerers were believed to possess the ability to manipulate natural and supernatural forces through spells, incantations, and rituals. The Bible presents these practices as contrary to the faith and reliance on God, emphasizing the need for the Israelites to remain separate from the surrounding nations' idolatrous customs.

Notable biblical references include Exodus 22:18, which states, "You must not allow a sorceress to live," highlighting the severity of the prohibition against such practices. In the narrative of Daniel, the term is used to describe the magicians of Babylon who were unable to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, contrasting their impotence with Daniel's God-given wisdom (Daniel 2:2).

Forms and Transliterations

כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶ֑ם כשפיכם kaš·šā·p̄ê·ḵem kashshafeiChem kaššāp̄êḵem

Englishman's Concordance

Jeremiah 27:9
HEB: עֹֽנְנֵיכֶ֖ם וְאֶל־ כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־ הֵ֞ם
NAS: your soothsayers or your sorcerers who
KJV: nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak
INT: your soothsayers about your sorcerers who like

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3786
1 Occurrence

kaš·šā·p̄ê·ḵem — 1 Occ.