Divining, often referred to as divination, is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through supernatural means. In the biblical context, divining is consistently portrayed as contrary to the will of God and is associated with pagan practices. The Bible provides numerous references to divining, often condemning it as an abomination and warning the Israelites against engaging in such practices.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament contains several explicit prohibitions against divining. In Deuteronomy 18:10-12 , God commands the Israelites: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable things the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you."

The practice of divining is often linked with idolatry and false worship. In Leviticus 19:26 , the Israelites are instructed, "You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery." This command is part of a broader set of laws intended to set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations and their pagan customs.

The account of King Saul consulting the medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-20) serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of divining. Saul, having lost favor with God, seeks guidance from a medium, which ultimately leads to his downfall. This narrative underscores the futility and peril of seeking knowledge outside of God's revealed will.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not address divining as explicitly as the Old Testament, it continues to affirm the rejection of practices associated with the occult. In Acts 16:16-18 , the Apostle Paul encounters a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination: "One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.' She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' And the spirit left her at that very moment."

This account demonstrates the power of Christ over demonic forces and the rejection of divination as a legitimate source of knowledge or guidance.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, divining is seen as an attempt to circumvent God's sovereignty and authority. It reflects a lack of trust in God's providence and a desire to control or predict the future through illicit means. The Bible consistently calls believers to seek wisdom and guidance from God alone, as seen in James 1:5 : "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Cultural Context

In the ancient Near Eastern context, divining was a common practice among pagan nations. Methods of divination included interpreting omens, consulting the dead, and using objects like rods or arrows to predict outcomes. These practices were often linked to the worship of false gods and were seen as attempts to manipulate spiritual forces for personal gain.

Conclusion

The biblical stance on divining is clear: it is forbidden and considered an affront to God's holiness and authority. Believers are called to rely on God's wisdom and revelation rather than seeking knowledge through forbidden means. The consistent biblical message is one of trust in God's plan and submission to His will, rejecting any form of divination as incompatible with a life of faith.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Divine.

2. (a.) That divines; for divining.

4436. puthon -- Python, a mythical serpent slain by Apollo ...
... by Apollo, divination. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: puthon Phonetic
Spelling: (poo'-thone) Short Definition: a divining spirit Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4436.htm - 6k4731. maqqel -- a rod, staff
... kel-aw'}; from an unused root meaning apparently to germinate; a shoot, ie Stick
(with leaves on, or for walking, striking, guiding, divining) -- rod, ((hand ...
/hebrew/4731.htm - 6k

7080. qasam -- to practice divination
... verb from qesem Definition to practice divination NASB Word Usage conjure (1),
divination (2), divine (2), diviner (2), diviners (7), divining (1), practice (1 ...
/hebrew/7080.htm - 6k

Whether Divination by Auguries, Omens, and by Like Observations of ...
... augurari]": and he himself afterwards said to his brethren (Gn.44:15): "Know you
not that there is no one like me in the science of divining?" Therefore it is ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether divination by auguries omens.htm

The Gifts of the Present Christ
... Do we not all know how strange is the power of divining desires that goes along
with true affection, and how the power, not only of divining, but of treasuring ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the gifts of the present.htm

The Elizabethan Reaction
... Paul's Cross, who divining his mistress's mood inveighed against the
Prayer-book, was the signal for decisive measures to begin. ...
/.../studies in the book of common prayer/chapter iii the elizabethan reaction.htm

The Greeks Claim, Without Reason, the Invention of the Arts.
... The most eminent of the Telmessians invented the art of divining by dreams; the
Carians, that of prognosticating by the stars; the Phrygians and the most ...
/.../tatian/tatians address to the greeks/chapter i the greeks claim without.htm

Depravity Lies at the Bottom of Demon-Worship.
... And so you are inferior to animals and plants! It would surely be a fine thing for
you to become a divining rod, or to assume the wings of a bird! ...
/.../tatian/tatians address to the greeks/chapter xix depravity lies at the.htm

Recapitulation. Definition of the Soul.
... above; in the fourteenth and fifteenth chapters he referred to the soul's "supremacy
or hegemony;" whilst we have had a hint about its "divining faculty," even ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxii recapitulation definition of the.htm

The Epistle to the Philippians.
... Lydia, the purple dealer of Thyatira and a half proselyte to Judaism, a native
slave-girl with a divining spirit, which was used by her masters as a means of ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 97 the epistle to.htm

The Lord Acknowledged but one God and Father.
... these perverse mythologists state, setting their thoughts against God; and, putting
aside the doctrine of Christ, and of themselves divining falsehoods, they ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter i the lord acknowledged but.htm

Proof of the Existence of the Rational Soul. -1 Difference of Man ...
... and beholds what is outside himself, travelling to other countries, walking about,
meeting his acquaintances, and often by these means divining and forecasting ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/section 31 proof of the.htm

Props of the System.
... senseless worship! And how many of these things were formerly done by magical
art, in the way of interpreting dreams, and divining! Yet ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter xviii props of the system.htm

Divining (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Divine. 2. (a.) That divines;
for divining. Multi-Version Concordance Divining (3 Occurrences). ...
/d/divining.htm - 7k

Augury (5 Occurrences)
... is in the King James Version "to observe times." The verb thus translated is `onen,
which means probably to utter a low croaking sound as was done in divining. ...
/a/augury.htm - 17k

Divinations (10 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 13:9 And My hand hath been on the prophets, Who are seeing vanity, and who
are divining a lie, In the assembly of My people they are not, And in the ...
/d/divinations.htm - 9k

Magic (12 Occurrences)
... to have consulted the teraphim (qv) for oracular answers (Judges 18:5, 6; Zechariah
10:2). There is a remarkable illustration of this divining by teraphim in ...
/m/magic.htm - 29k

Cup (86 Occurrences)
... Revelation 17:4). The art of divining by means of a cup was practiced in
Egypt (Genesis 44:2-17), and in the East generally. The "cup ...
/c/cup.htm - 41k

Divination (25 Occurrences)
... 1, 2). (3) On hepatoscopy, or divining from the liver, see below, 6, (2), (c).
(4) It can be proved that among the ancient peoples (Babylonians, Egyptians ...
/d/divination.htm - 45k

Untempered (5 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity,
and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the ...
/u/untempered.htm - 9k

Whitewash (7 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:28 Her prophets have daubed for them with whitewash, seeing false visions,
and divining lies to them, saying, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, when Yahweh ...
/w/whitewash.htm - 9k

Whited (7 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:28 And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered mortar , seeing
false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord ...
/w/whited.htm - 8k

Rabbah (14 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 21:21 represents the king of Babylon at "the head of the two ways" deciding
by means of the divining arrows whether he should march against Jerusalem ...
/r/rabbah.htm - 19k

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