אַשָּׁף
𐤀𐤔𐤐
ʼashshâph
H825 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A practitioner of occult or esoteric arts, especially one associated with sorcery, magic, or divination at ancient Near Eastern courts. Typically refers to a class of learned experts serving in royal courts who claimed special knowledge through rituals, incantations, interpretation of omens, or interaction with the spiritual realm. The term does not necessarily specify astrology alone but covers a broader semantic field of those engaged in magical or divinatory practices.
Semantic Range
conjurer, magician, practitioner of magic arts, royal court expert in divination or dream interpretation, court magician; possibly astrologer
Root / Etymology
The root is uncertain; Strong's suggests a possible root meaning 'to lisp' or 'to whisper,' implying magical utterance, but no such root is securely attested in biblical Hebrew. The word may be of Akkadian origin or borrowed from related Semitic languages, reflecting the influence of Mesopotamian court culture on the biblical lexicon.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַשָּׁף occurs only in exilic and post-exilic biblical books (Daniel, once in Deuteronomy in a later recension), and always in a foreign (Babylonian) court setting (Daniel 1:20; 2:2,10,27; 4:7; 5:7,11). The term was associated with practitioners considered wise men by Mesopotamian standards. English translations (such as 'magician,' 'astrologer,' or 'wizard') often obscure the technical or professional sense of the word as a part of courtly administration. Unlike other terms for diviners or sorcerers in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., קָסַם, חָרְטֹם), אַשָּׁף is linked to non-Israelite contexts and lacks overtly negative judgment in those narratives, as their function is depicted as part of the learned classes in Babylon. Later Jewish and Christian tradition sometimes renders this as 'sorcerer' or 'astrologer,' but this reflects misunderstandings tied to later polemics and changing attitudes toward court magicians.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (probably meaning to lisp, i.e. practice enchantment); a conjurer; astrologer.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אשף (ʾ-š-p̄) — whispering, enchantment, occult utterance
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H825-02 |
וְ/לָֽ/אַשָּׁפִ֗ים | velaashafim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and the enchanters | and to the court magicians | 1 |
H825-01 |
הָֽ/אַשָּׁפִ֔ים | haashafim | HTd/Ncmpa |
and enchanters | the court magicians | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H825-01 |
Daniel 1:20 | הָֽ/אַשָּׁפִ֔ים | haashafim | HTd/Ncmpa |
and enchanters | the court magicians |
H825-02 |
Daniel 2:2 | וְ/לָֽ/אַשָּׁפִ֗ים | velaashafim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and the enchanters | and to the court magicians |