Leviticus 19:31

KJV1611 – Modern English

Do not turn to those who have familiar spirits, nor seek after wizards, to be defiled by 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

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Do not turn to mediums or spiritists. Do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defid by them: I am the LORD your God.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Turne not to the that worke with sprites, nether regarde the that obserue disemall dayes: that ye be not defiled by the, for I am the Lorde youre God.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Ye shal not turne yor selues to ye Soythsayers, and axe nothinge at the expounders of tokes, that ye be not defyled by them: for I am the LORDE youre God.

• 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.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Ye shall not regarde them that worke with spirites, neither seeke after soothsayers to be defiled by them: I am the Lorde your God.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  "'Don't turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don't seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `Ye do not turn unto those having familiar spirits; and unto wizards ye do not seek, for uncleanness by them; I `am' Jehovah your God.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.

• 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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  "'Don't turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don't seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits to become unclean by them. I am the LORD your God.

Referenced Verses

• Isa 8:19 : 19 And when they say to you, Seek those who have familiar spirits, and wizards that whisper and mutter: should not a people seek their God? for the living to the dead?
• Lev 20:27 : 27 A man or woman who has a familiar spirit, or who is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
• 1 Sam 28:3 : 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had expelled those with familiar spirits and the wizards from the land.
• 1 Chr 10:13 : 13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he did not keep; and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;
• 2 Chr 33:6 : 6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; also he observed times, used enchantments, used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards; he did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
• Deut 18:10-14 : 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be perfect with the LORD your God. 14 For these nations, which you shall possess, listened to observers of times, and to diviners: but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.
• Exod 22:18 : 18 You shall not allow a witch to live.
• Lev 19:26 : 26 You shall not eat anything with the blood: nor shall you use enchantment, nor observe times.
• Lev 20:6-7 : 6 And the soul that turns after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go whoring after them, I will set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy: for I am the LORD your God.
• 1 Sam 28:7-9 : 7 Then Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman with a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman with a familiar spirit at Endor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on different clothing, and he went with two men, and they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please, divine for me by the familiar spirit, and bring up for me the one whom I shall name to you. 9 And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cast out those with familiar spirits and the wizards from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
• 2 Kgs 17:17 : 17 They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
• 2 Kgs 21:6 : 6 And he made his son pass through the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and dealt with mediums and spiritists: he did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
• Isa 29:4 : 4 And you shall be brought down, and shall speak out of the ground, and your speech shall be low out of the dust, and your voice shall be, as one that has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech shall whisper out of the dust.
• Isa 47:13 : 13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from these things that shall come upon you.
• Acts 8:11 : 11 And they regarded him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.
• Acts 13:6-8 : 6 And when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
• Acts 16:16-18 : 16 And it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. 18 And she did this for many days. But Paul, being greatly troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour.
• Acts 19:19-20 : 19 Many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and burned them before all; and they counted up the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of God grew mightily and prevailed.
• Gal 5:20 : 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousy, wrath, strife, seditious, heresies,
• Rev 21:8 : 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.