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נָחַשׁ

𐤍𐤇𐤔

nâchash

H5172 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נחשׁ to hiss, to whisper, to augur, to practice divination

Definition

To practice divination or augury; to seek to foretell or uncover hidden knowledge through ritual, signs, or interpretation of omens. The verb is primarily used for illicit practices of interpreting signs, typically associated with predicting the future or deciphering divine will, and is often connected with forbidden or foreign ritual activities. Occasionally, it carries the nuance of closely observing or seeking to discover through inference, especially in narrative or idiomatic use.

Semantic Range

to practice divination, to interpret omens, to read signs, to use incantations or enchantments, to seek knowledge through forbidden practices, to diligently observe (idiomatic), to try by inference (rare, contextual)

Root / Etymology

From the root נחשׁ (nachash), which has the core idea of hissing or whispering, possibly imitative of the sound associated with serpent or with whispered incantations. The root gives rise to words connected both to serpents (cf. noun נָחָשׁ 'serpent') and acts of divination. The verbal form most commonly denotes the act of divination or soothsaying, likely from the notion of muttering spells or observing signs.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, נָחַשׁ most frequently refers to prohibited practices of divination, often in contrast with legitimate channels for discerning the divine will, such as prophecy or the use of the Urim and Thummim. It occurs in legal, narrative, and polemical texts, reflecting Israelite polemics against common divinatory practices of surrounding cultures. The activity is generally portrayed negatively (e.g., Deut 18:10, Lev 19:26), but in some narrative contexts, the verb can describe the act of searching for meaning in events (e.g. Genesis 44:5, 15; where the idiom 'to divine' is applied to Joseph). The noun for serpent (נָחָשׁ) is likely a related development, sharing the root's onomatopoeic origin. Most modern English translations render the verb as 'practice divination' or 'enchant', but this often fails to communicate the breadth of practices implied, including the reading of omens, interpreting signs, or using ritual to influence the future. In later Hebrew and in the Second Temple period, related terms further developed broader magical and occult associations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate; [idiom] certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) [idiom] enchantment, learn by experience, [idiom] indeed, diligently observe.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נחשׁ (n-ḥ-sh) — hissing, whispering, auguring, divination

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5154 נְחוּשָׁה like copper
H5175 נָחָשׁ the serpent
H5176 נָחָשׁ serpent
H5177 נַחְשׁוֹן Nachshon
H5179 נְחֻשְׁתָּא Nehushta

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5172-01 נַחֵ֥שׁ nachesh HVpa practices divination intensively practice divination 2
H5172-06 וְ/נִחֵ֔שׁ venichesh HC/Vpq3ms and practiced divination and he practiced divination 2
H5172-08 יְנַחֵ֖שׁ yenachesh HVpi3ms can divine he will practice divination 2
H5172-04 וּ/מְנַחֵ֖שׁ umenachesh HC/Vprmsa or an omen interpreter and one who practices divination 1
H5172-07 יְנַחֲשׁ֨וּ yenachashu HVpi3mp took-it-as-a-sign they practice divination 1
H5172-05 וַ/יְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ vayenacheshu HC/Vpw3mp and practiced soothsaying they practiced divination 1
H5172-03 תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּ tenachashu HVpi2mp shall you practice divination you will practice divination 1
H5172-02 נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי nichasheti HVpp1cs I have learned by divination I practiced divination 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5172-02 Genesis 30:27 נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי nichasheti HVpp1cs I have learned by divination I practiced divination
H5172-01 Genesis 44:5 נַחֵ֥שׁ nachesh HVpa practices divination intensively practice divination
H5172-08 Genesis 44:5 יְנַחֵ֖שׁ yenachesh HVpi3ms indeed divines he will practice divination
H5172-01 Genesis 44:15 נַחֵ֧שׁ nachesh HVpa practice divination intensively practice divination
H5172-08 Genesis 44:15 יְנַחֵ֛שׁ yenachesh HVpi3ms can divine he will practice divination
H5172-03 Leviticus 19:26 תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּ tenachashu HVpi2mp shall you practice divination you will practice divination
H5172-04 Deuteronomy 18:10 וּ/מְנַחֵ֖שׁ umenachesh HC/Vprmsa or an omen interpreter and one who practices divination
H5172-07 1 Kings 20:33 יְנַחֲשׁ֨וּ yenachashu HVpi3mp took-it-as-a-sign they practice divination
H5172-05 2 Kings 17:17 וַ/יְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ vayenacheshu HC/Vpw3mp and practiced soothsaying they practiced divination
H5172-06 2 Kings 21:6 וְ/נִחֵ֔שׁ venichesh HC/Vpq3ms and practiced divination and he practiced divination
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