א֖וֹב
𐤀𐤅𐤁
ʼôwb
a familiar spirit
A ritual pit, vessel, or medium associated with necromancy; primarily, 'ôb denotes either (1) a ritual object or location intended to be a site of communication with the spirits of the dead, often translated as 'spirit medium's pit' or 'spirit vessel,' or (2) the spirit of the dead itself, summoned in divinatory practice, or the person (medium) through whom such communication is believed to occur. The word can refer both to the practice of necromancy and to the practitioner (medium), as well as to the phenomena manifested (spirit, ghost, 'familiar spirit' in traditional translations).
1 Samuel 28:7 · Word #19
Lexicon H178
| Lemma | אוֹב |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤀𐤅𐤁 |
| Transliteration | ʼôwb |
| Strong's | H178 |
| Definition | A ritual pit, vessel, or medium associated with necromancy; primarily, 'ôb denotes either (1) a ritual object or location intended to be a site of communication with the spirits of the dead, often translated as 'spirit medium's pit' or 'spirit vessel,' or (2) the spirit of the dead itself, summoned in divinatory practice, or the person (medium) through whom such communication is believed to occur. The word can refer both to the practice of necromancy and to the practitioner (medium), as well as to the phenomena manifested (spirit, ghost, 'familiar spirit' in traditional translations). |
Morphology HNcmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | a familiar spirit |
SIBI-P1 Translation H178-05
necromantic pit
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common, masculine singular, absolute state. |
| Rendering Rationale | The rendering reflects the root sense of a hollow or cavity while preserving its specialized association with necromantic practice. As a masculine singular absolute noun, it is rendered as a concrete singular object linked to ritual consultation of the dead. |
View full lexicon entry for H178 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
necromantic pit
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 preserves the sense per SILEX and is consistent with verses elsewhere. |