In the biblical context, a sorceress is a woman who practices sorcery, which involves the use of supernatural powers or magic, often in opposition to the will and commandments of God. The Bible consistently condemns such practices, associating them with idolatry and rebellion against God.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament explicitly prohibits sorcery and divination. In the Mosaic Law, sorcery is condemned as an abomination. In Exodus 22:18 , it is stated, "You must not allow a sorceress to live." This severe command underscores the seriousness with which sorcery was viewed in ancient Israelite society. The practice of sorcery was seen as a direct challenge to the authority and sovereignty of God, as it often involved invoking the power of false gods or demonic forces.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 further elaborates on the prohibition against sorcery: "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." This passage lists sorcery alongside other forbidden practices, emphasizing its incompatibility with the worship of Yahweh.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not specifically mention sorceresses, it continues to denounce sorcery and related practices. In Galatians 5:19-21 , sorcery is listed among the "acts of the flesh," which are contrary to the life led by the Spirit: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

The book of Acts provides an account of a sorcerer named Simon, who practiced magic in Samaria and attempted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from the apostles (Acts 8:9-24). Although Simon is a male figure, this narrative illustrates the early Christian rejection of sorcery and the belief that the power of God cannot be manipulated or purchased.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, sorcery was often intertwined with religious practices and was sometimes used to gain insight into the future or to manipulate events. Sorceresses, like their male counterparts, were believed to have the ability to communicate with the spiritual realm, often through rituals and incantations. However, the biblical texts consistently portray such practices as deceptive and dangerous, leading people away from the truth of God.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the condemnation of sorcery in the Bible highlights the importance of exclusive devotion to God. Sorcery is seen as a form of spiritual adultery, where individuals seek power and knowledge apart from God. The biblical injunctions against sorcery serve as a reminder of the need for faithfulness to God's commandments and reliance on His wisdom and power alone.

In summary, the figure of the sorceress in the Bible represents a broader category of forbidden practices that challenge the authority of God. The consistent biblical stance against sorcery underscores the call for holiness and the rejection of any form of spiritual compromise.(n.) A female sorcerer.3784. kashaph -- to practice sorcery
... Word Origin denominative verb from kesheph Definition to practice sorcery NASB Word
Usage practiced sorcery (1), sorcerer (1), sorcerers (3), sorceress (1). ...
/hebrew/3784.htm - 6k

6049a. anan -- to practice soothsaying
... diviners' (1), fortune-tellers (1), practice witchcraft (1), practiced witchcraft
(2), practices witchcraft (1), soothsayers (2), soothsaying (1), sorceress (1 ...
/hebrew/6049a.htm - 5k

On Kings.
... Part I."Exegetical. On Kings. The question is raised, whether Samuel rose
by the hand of the sorceress or not. And if, indeed, we ...
/.../hippolytus/the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on kings.htm

The Minne-Songs
... Kundria the sorceress, a terrible messenger from the Sangreal, rides into the hall,
tells the knights that they and their Round Table are dishonoured by the ...
/.../winkworth/christian singers of germany/the minne-songs.htm

The Fulfilment
... There was no alternative. It was death whatever they did, unless, in truth, this
splendid sorceress was indeed the Voice of the Risen Prince. ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xxiii the fulfilment.htm

Further Diplomacy
... words. Masanath felt her flesh crawl and her soft hair take on life. Not
all the words of the sorceress were intelligible. At first ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxvi further diplomacy.htm

The Evil one Wailed "Where Now, is There a Place for Me to Flee to ...
... 6. Gehazi, with the staff that brought to life the dead, was unable to raise the
child. And how could the famous prophet have been brought up by the sorceress? ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xlii the evil one.htm

Simon's Explanation of the Three Last Books of the Pentateuch.
... into beasts. But a faithful man, and beloved by that sorceress, is, he says,
discovered through that milk-like and divine fruit. In ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xi simons explanation of the.htm

What Varro Says of the Incredible Transformations of Men.
... In support of this story, Varro relates others no less incredible about that most
famous sorceress Circe, who changed the companions of Ulysses into beasts ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 17 what varro says of.htm

The End of Self-Will
... stands the towering form of Saul with a little ring of his children and retainers
round him, the words he had heard last night in the sorceress' tent unnerving ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the end of self-will.htm

'Lying Vanities'
... The sorceress draws us within her charmed circle by lying words and illusory charms,
and when she has so secured the captives, her mask is thrown off and her ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/lying vanities.htm

The Margin of the Nile
... "Idler!" said Kenkenes. "Nay," she answered with a smile, "I am at work"learned
work.". "Gathering witch-weeds for an incantation, sorceress?". "Not so. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xiv the margin of.htm

Sorceress (2 Occurrences)
... (n.) A female sorcerer. Multi-Version Concordance Sorceress (2 Occurrences). Exodus
22:18 "You shall not allow a sorceress to live. (WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/sorceress.htm - 7k

Witch (2 Occurrences)
... Occurs only in Exodus 22:18, as the rendering of mekhashshepheh, the feminine form
of the word, meaning "enchantress" (RV, "sorceress"), and in Deuteronomy 18 ...
/w/witch.htm - 24k

Witchcraft (8 Occurrences)
... twice in the King James Version, namely, (1) in Exodus 22:18, "Thou shalt not suffer
a witch (the Revised Version (British and American) "a sorceress") to live ...
/w/witchcraft.htm - 23k

Magician (5 Occurrences)
... (n.) One skilled in magic; a sorcerer; one who practices the black art; an enchanter;
a necromancer; a sorcerer or sorceress; a conjurer. Int. ...
/m/magician.htm - 24k

Sorcerers (8 Occurrences)

/s/sorcerers.htm - 9k

Sorceries (11 Occurrences)

/s/sorceries.htm - 9k

Whore (14 Occurrences)
... pit. (KJV DBY). Isaiah 57:3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress,
the seed of the adulterer and the whore. (KJV YLT). Ezekiel ...
/w/whore.htm - 11k

Adulterer (6 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Isaiah 57:3 "But draw near here, you
sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the prostitute. ...
/a/adulterer.htm - 8k

Adulterers (10 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Isaiah 57:3 But draw near hither, ye
sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. (See NIV). ...
/a/adulterers.htm - 9k

Silas (22 Occurrences)
... At Philippi, Lydia, a seller of purple, was converted, and with her they made their
abode; but the exorcism of an evil spirit from a sorceress brought upon ...
/s/silas.htm - 21k

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