Leviticus 19:31

Geneva Bible (1560)

Ye shall not regarde them that worke with spirites, neither soothsayers: ye shall not seeke to them to be defiled by them: I am the Lorde 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 shal say vnto you, Enquire at them that haue a spirit of diuination, and at the soothsayers, which whisper and murmure, Should not a people enquire at their God? from the liuing to the dead?
• Lev 20:27 : 27 And if a man or woman haue a spirite of diuination, or soothsaying in them, they shall die the death: they shall stone them to death, their blood shalbe vpon them.
• 1 Sam 28:3 : 3 ( Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah his owne citie: and Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land)
• 1 Chr 10:13 : 13 So Saul dyed for his transgression, that he committed against the Lord, euen against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and in that he sought & asked counsel of a familiar spirit,
• 2 Chr 33:6 : 6 And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom: he gaue him selfe to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcerie, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits, and soothsayers: hee did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him.
• Deut 18:10-14 : 10 Let none be founde among you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to goe thorough the fire, or that vseth witchcraft, or a regarder of times, or a marker of the flying of foules, or a sorcerer, 11 Or a charmer, or that counselleth with spirits, or a soothsaier, or that asketh counsel at ye dead. 12 For all that doe such things are abomination vnto the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lorde thy God doeth cast them out before thee. 13 Thou shalt be vpright therefore with the Lorde thy God. 14 For these nations which thou shalt possesse, hearken vnto those that regarde the times, and vnto sorcerers: as for thee, the Lorde thy God hath not suffred thee so.
• Exod 22:18 : 18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue.
• Lev 19:26 : 26 Ye shal not eat the flesh with the blood, ye shall not vse witchcraft, nor obserue times.
• Lev 20:6-7 : 6 If any turne after such as worke with spirits, and after soothsayers, to go a whoring after them, then will I set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Sanctifie your selues therefore, and be holie, for I am the Lorde your God.
• 1 Sam 28:7-9 : 7 Then saide Saul vnto his seruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirite, that I may goe to her, and aske of her; his seruants said to him, Beholde, there is a woman at En-dor that hath a familiar spirit. 8 Then Saul changed him selfe, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he saide, I pray thee, coniecture vnto me by the familiar spirite, and bring me him vp whome I shall name vnto thee. 9 And the woman saide vnto him, Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the southsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?
• 2 Kgs 17:17 : 17 And they made their sonnes and their daughters passe thorowe the fire, and vsed witchcraft and inchantments, yea, solde them selues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord, to anger him.
• 2 Kgs 21:6 : 6 And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire, and gaue him selfe to witchcraft and sorcerie, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits and were soothsayers, and did much euill in the sight of the Lorde to anger him.
• Isa 29:4 : 4 So shalt thou be humbled, and shalt speake out of the ground, and thy speach shalbe as out of the dust: thy voyce also shall be out of the ground like him that hath a spirite of diuination, and thy talking shall whisper out of the dust.
• Isa 47:13 : 13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the starre gasers, and prognosticatours stand vp, & saue thee from these things, that shall come vpon thee.
• Acts 8:11 : 11 And they gaue heed vnto him, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
• Acts 13:6-8 : 6 So when they had gone throughout the yle vnto Paphus, they found a certaine sorcerer, a false prophet, being a Iewe, named Bariesus, 7 Which was with the Deputie Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He called vnto him Barnabas and Saul, and desired to heare the woorde of God. 8 But Elymas, ye sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstoode them, and sought to turne away the Deputie from the faith.
• Acts 16:16-18 : 16 And it came to passe that as we went to prayer, a certaine maide hauing a spirit of diuination, mette vs, which gate her masters much vantage with diuining. 17 She followed Paul and vs, and cryed, saying, These men are the seruants of the most high God, which shewe vnto you the way of saluation. 18 And this did she many dayes: but Paul being grieued, turned about, and said to the spirit, I commaund thee in the Name of Iesus Christ, that thou come out of her; he came out the same houre.
• Acts 19:19-20 : 19 Many also of them which vsed curious artes, brought their bookes, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fiftie thousand pieces of siluer. 20 So the worde of God grewe mightily, and preuailed.
• Gal 5:20 : 20 Idolatrie, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies,
• Rev 21:8 : 8 But the fearful and vnbeleeuing, and the abominable and murtherers, and whoremogers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, & all liars shall haue their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.