Lexical Summary kashshaph: To practice sorcery, to practice witchcraft Original Word: כַּשָּׁף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sorcerer From kashaph; a magician -- sorcerer. see HEBREW kashaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom 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 Textual SettingThe solitary occurrence of כַּשָּׁף (kashshāph) sits in Jeremiah 27:9, within a prophetic address to the surrounding nations during the reign of Zedekiah. The prophet warns, “So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon’ ” (Jeremiah 27:9). In the larger context (Jeremiah 27:1–11) Jeremiah urges submission to Nebuchadnezzar as part of God’s disciplinary plan. Sorcery, along with other forms of illegitimate revelation, is portrayed as a seductive voice seeking to overturn the clear word of the LORD. Sorcery in the Old Testament World Ancient Near Eastern cultures treated the manipulation of supernatural powers through ritual, incantation, herbs, and celestial observation as a normal avenue for guidance and protection. Texts from Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt catalogue spells for healing, cursing, or influencing political outcomes. Jeremiah’s audience—foreign emissaries gathered in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 27:3)—would have been steeped in such practices. The prophet exposes their sorcerers as false brokers of security, unable to thwart the divine decree already spoken through Israel’s God. Biblical Condemnation of Magical Arts Although כַּשָּׁף appears only once in the Hebrew text, cognate forms underscore a consistent prohibition: • Exodus 22:18: “You must not allow a sorceress to live.” The inclusion of sorcery within legal and prophetic denunciations shows that Israel’s faith was designed to be wholly dependent on God’s self-revelation, not on techniques that attempt to coerce spiritual forces. Theological Contrast: Revelation versus Manipulation Throughout Scripture the fundamental distinction lies between revelation (what God freely discloses) and manipulation (human attempts to harness unseen powers). Sorcery promises control; true prophecy demands submission. In Jeremiah 27 the nations stand at a crossroads: heed Yahweh’s word or trust their occult specialists. The divine verdict is clear—only God determines the rise and fall of empires (Jeremiah 27:5–7). Historical Significance Jeremiah’s condemnation anticipates the downfall of Babylonian religion itself (Jeremiah 50:35–38) and foreshadows the later prophetic cry against “Babylon the great” in Revelation 18. The struggle between the voice of the LORD and the allure of magical arts transcends eras, showing the Bible’s unified stance: every empire and ideology that relies on occult power will ultimately be judged. New Testament Parallels Greek terms such as φαρμακεία (pharmakeia) in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 18:23 continue the Old Testament judgment on sorcery, listing it among “the deeds of the flesh” and the sins that characterize end-time Babylon. Simon the magician (Acts 8:9–24) and Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6–11) furnish narrative examples: both oppose apostolic preaching and both are publicly exposed. Ministry Implications 1. Discernment: Believers must test every spiritual claim against Scripture, refusing counsel that bypasses or contradicts God’s written Word. Summary כַּשָּׁף appears only once, yet its solitary flash illumines a broad biblical theme: sorcery is a counterfeit source of direction that must yield to the sovereign voice of God. Jeremiah 27:9 stands as a timeless warning that all who rely on occult wisdom will be shamed, whereas those who trust the LORD and His revealed word will find true security, even under foreign yokes ordained for their ultimate good. Forms and Transliterations כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶ֑ם כשפיכם kaš·šā·p̄ê·ḵem kashshafeiChem kaššāp̄êḵemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |
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