Reference: Enchantments
American
1. Deceptive arts and charms practiced by designing men, and classed in the Bible with sorcery, magic, divination, witchcraft, and necromancy, or professed communication with departed spirits. All these are expressly forbidden and denounced in Scripture, Ex 22:18; Le 19:26; 20:27; De 18:10-11. The pretended power and skill of enchanters was ascribed to infernal agency, and the art was essentially hostile to true religion. Their seeming wonders were usually wrought by juggling tricks or sleight of hand, or by mysteries of science, known to but few. The magicians of Egypt are said to have done several things "with their enchantments," Ex 7:1-9:29; Ac 19:19.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the Lord said to Moses, See I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. Say whatever I give you orders to say: and Aaron your brother will give word to Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land. read more. And I will make Pharaoh's heart hard, and my signs and wonders will be increased in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not give ear to you, and I will put my hand on Egypt, and take my armies, my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt, after great punishments. And the Egyptians will see that I am the Lord, when my hand is stretched out over Egypt, and I take the children of Israel out from among them. And Moses and Aaron did so: as the Lord gave them orders, so they did. And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they gave the Lord's word to Pharaoh. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, If Pharaoh says to you, Let me see a wonder: then say to Aaron, Take your rod and put it down on the earth before Pharaoh so that it may become a snake.
Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death.
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.
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.
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, Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions.
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.
Easton
(1.) The rendering of Hebrew latim or lehatim, which means "something covered," "muffled up;" secret arts, tricks (Ex 7:11,22; 8:7,18), by which the Egyptian magicians imposed on the credulity of Pharaoh.
(2.) The rendering of the Hebrew keshaphim, "muttered spells" or "incantations," rendered "sorceries" in Isa 47:9,12, i.e., the using of certain formulae under the belief that men could thus be bound.
(3.) Hebrew lehashim, "charming," as of serpents (Jer 8:17; comp. Ps 58:5).
(4.) Hebrew nehashim, the enchantments or omens used by Balaam (Nu 24:1); his endeavouring to gain omens favourable to his design.
(5.) Hebrew heber (Isa 47:9,12), "magical spells." All kinds of enchantments were condemned by the Mosaic law (Le 19:26; De 18:10-12). (See Divination.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then Pharaoh sent for the wise men and the wonder-workers, and they, the wonder-workers of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
And the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same with their secret arts: but Pharaoh's heart was made hard, and he would not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
And the wonder-workers did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up over the land of Egypt.
And the wonder-workers with their secret arts, attempting to make insects, were unable to do so: and there were insects on man and on beast.
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.
Now when Balaam saw that it was the Lord's pleasure to give his blessing to Israel, he did not, as at other times, make use of secret arts, but turning his face to the waste land,
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, Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions. read more. 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.
Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.
But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
Go on now with your secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you, or by them you may put fear into your attackers.
Go on now with your secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you, or by them you may put fear into your attackers.
See, I will send snakes and poison-snakes among you, against which the wonder-worker has no power; and they will give you wounds which may not be made well, says the Lord.
Morish
See DIVINATION.
Smith
Enchantments.
The words so translated have several signification: the practice of secret arts,
; "muttered spells,"
the charming of serpents,
the enchantments sought by Balaam,
the use of magic,
Any resort to these methods of imposture was strictly forbidden in Scripture,
etc.; but to eradicate the tendency is almost impossible,
and we find it still flourishing at the Christian era.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then Pharaoh sent for the wise men and the wonder-workers, and they, the wonder-workers of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
And the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same with their secret arts: but Pharaoh's heart was made hard, and he would not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
And the wonder-workers did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up over the land of Egypt.
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.
Now when Balaam saw that it was the Lord's pleasure to give his blessing to Israel, he did not, as at other times, make use of secret arts, but turning his face to the waste land,
Now when Joram saw Jehu he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he said in answer, What peace is possible while all the land is full of the disgusting sins of your mother Jezebel, and her secret arts?
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.
If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
Go on now with your secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you, or by them you may put fear into your attackers.
I will put an end to your use of secret arts, and you will have no more readers of signs:
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;
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.