Leviticus 19:31

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Do not go after those who make use of spirits, or wonder-workers; do not go in their ways or become unclean through them: I am the Lord your God.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אַל־תִּפְנ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים אַל־תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ לְטָמְאָ֣ה בָהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

Transliteration

ʾal-tip̄nû ʾel-hāʾōḇōṯ wə-ʾel-hayyiddəʿōnîm ʾal-təḇaqšû ləṭomʾāh ḇāhem ʾănî YHWH ʾĕlōhêḵem

Grammar Details

• *ʾal*: negative particle with jussive - do not
• *tip̄nû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural jussive - turn
• *ʾel*: preposition - to
• *hāʾōḇōṯ*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the mediums/necromancers
• *wə-ʾel*: conjunction + preposition - and to
• *hayyiddəʿōnîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the spiritists/familiar spirits
• *təḇaqšû*: Piel imperfect, 2nd masculine plural jussive - seek
• *ləṭomʾāh*: preposition + Qal infinitive construct - to be defiled
• *ḇāhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - by them
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD
• *ʾĕlōhêḵem*: noun, masculine plural construct + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *hāʾōḇōṯ*: mediums/necromancers/ghost conjurers/those who communicate with the dead
• *hayyiddəʿōnîm*: spiritists/wizards/those with familiar spirits/those who claim special knowledge
• *ləṭomʾāh*: to be defiled/to become unclean/to be polluted

Referenced Verses

• Isa 8:19 : 19 And when they say to you, Make request for us to those who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make hollow bird-like sounds; is it not right for a people to make request to their gods, to make request for the living to the dead?
• Lev 20:27 : 27 Any man or woman who makes use of spirits, or who is a wonder-worker, is to be put to death: they are to be stoned with stones: their blood will be on them.
• 1 Sam 28:3 : 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel, after weeping for him, had put his body in its last resting-place in Ramah, his town. And Saul had put away from the land all those who had control of spirits and who made use of secret arts.
• 1 Chr 10:13 : 13 So death came to Saul because of the sin which he did against the Lord, that is, because of the word of the Lord which he kept not; and because he went for directions to one who had an evil spirit,
• 2 Chr 33:6 : 6 More than this, he made his children go through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he made use of secret arts, and signs for reading the future, and unnatural powers, and gave positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers: he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath.
• Deut 18:10-14 : 10 Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker, 11 Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions. 12 For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You are to be upright in heart before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations, whose land you are taking, give attention to readers of signs and to those using secret arts: but the Lord your God will not let you do so.
• Exod 22:18 : 18 Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death.
• Lev 19:26 : 26 Nothing may be used for food with its blood in it; you may not make use of strange arts, or go in search of signs and wonders.
• Lev 20:6-7 : 6 And whoever goes after those who make use of spirits and wonder-workers, doing evil with them, against him will my face be turned, and he will be cut off from among his people. 7 So make and keep yourselves holy, for I am the Lord your God.
• 1 Sam 28:7-9 : 7 Then Saul said to his servants, Get me a woman who has control of a spirit so that I may go to her and get directions. And his servants said to him, There is such a woman at En-dor. 8 So Saul, putting on other clothing, so that he might not be seen to be the king, took two men with him and went to the woman by night; and he said, Now, with the help of the spirit which you have, make the person whose name I will give you come up. 9 And the woman said to him, But you have knowledge of what Saul has done, how he has put away out of the land those who have control of spirits and the users of secret arts: why would you, by a trick, put me in danger of death?
• 2 Kgs 17:17 : 17 And they made their sons and their daughters go through the fire, and they made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, till he was moved to wrath.
• 2 Kgs 21:6 : 6 And he made his son go through the fire, and made use of secret arts and signs for reading the future; he gave positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers; he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath.
• Isa 29:4 : 4 And you will be made low, and your voice will come out of the earth, and your words will be low out of the dust; and your voice will come out of the earth like that of a spirit, making bird-like noises out of the dust.
• Isa 47:13 : 13 But your mind is troubled by the number of your guides: let them now come forward for your salvation: the measurers of the heavens, the watchers of the stars, and those who are able to say from month to month what things are coming on you.
• Acts 8:11 : 11 And they gave attention to him, because for a long time his wonder-working powers had kept them under his control.
• Acts 13:6-8 : 6 And when they had gone through all the island to Paphos, they came across a certain wonder-worker and false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus; 7 Who was with the ruler, Sergius Paulus, an able man. This man sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to have knowledge of the word of God. 8 But Elymas, the wonder-worker (for that is the sense of his name), put himself against them, with the purpose of turning the ruler from the faith.
• Acts 16:16-18 : 16 And when we were going to the place of prayer, we came across a girl with a spirit which gave knowledge of the future, whose masters made great profit from her power. 17 She came after Paul and us, crying out and saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are giving you news of the way of salvation. 18 And this she did on a number of days. But Paul was greatly troubled and, turning, said to the spirit, I give you orders in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.
• Acts 19:19-20 : 19 And a great number of those who were experts in strange arts took their books and put them on the fire in front of everyone: and when the books were valued they came to fifty thousand bits of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was increased very greatly and was full of power.
• Gal 5:20 : 20 Worship of images, use of strange powers, hates, fighting, desire for what another has, angry feelings, attempts to get the better of others, divisions, false teachings,
• Rev 21:8 : 8 But those who are full of fear and without faith, the unclean and takers of life, those who do the sins of the flesh, and those who make use of evil powers or who give worship to images, and all those who are false, will have their part in the sea of ever-burning fire which is the second death.