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חַרְטֹם

𐤇𐤓𐤈𐤌

charṭôm

H2748 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרט to engrave, inscribe, carve

Definition

A court official or practitioner of specialized scribal or interpretive arts, particularly in the context of interpreting dreams, signs, or esoteric knowledge; especially denoting Egyptian magicians, scribes, or scholars reputed for wisdom or occult learning. The term primarily refers to those associated with the Egyptian royal court as experts in rites, divination, or arcane literature, and appears in narrative contexts of contest with Israelite figures such as Moses, Joseph, or Daniel.

Semantic Range

engraver, scribe, scholar with expertise in written wisdom, court interpreter of omens or dreams, practitioner of magic or occult rites, Egyptian royal magician, official court diviner

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חרט (ḥ-r-ṭ), meaning 'to engrave, inscribe, or carve.' The noun חַרְטֹם (charṭôm) likely refers originally to a scribe or engraver, given the association with writing or marking, but in biblical usage, it denotes an official or practitioner of magical or interpretive arts, especially in Egypt. The development from 'engraver' or 'scribe' to 'magician' reflects Egyptian court contexts, where scribal knowledge and magical expertise often overlapped. Thus, the term's lexical meaning has shifted from a technical/scribal role toward a broader role in wisdom and occult functions in courtly life.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Pentateuch (notably Exodus and Genesis), חַרְטֹמִים (magicians or court sorcerers) are depicted as Egyptian officials engaged in dream interpretation or magical acts, especially during royal confrontations or revelatory events (e.g., magicians challenging Moses' signs before Pharaoh). In Daniel, the term is extended to Babylonian court settings, further associating it with wise men or scholarly diviners rather than merely conjurers. Later tradition and translations often render the term as 'magician' or even 'sorcerer,' but these can be misleading anachronisms, given the original association with learned court officials and scribal arts. The overlap between scribal, ritualistic, and occult activities in ancient Egypt (and later Mesopotamia) shapes the biblical representation. Unlike פשוט 'wise men' (חכמים) or 'sorcerers' (מכשפים), חַרְטֹם designates those specifically trained in formal, literate arts—engraving, writing, record-keeping, and sometimes reading omens or dreams through established cultural rituals. English translations tend to narrow the sense into 'magician,' which may obscure the original blend of mystic and scholarly connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as חֶרֶט; a horoscopist (as drawing magical lines or circles); magician.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרט (ḥ-r-ṭ) — engrave, inscribe, carve

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2747 חֶרֶט with the engraving-tool
H2749 חַרְטֹם occult inscriber

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2748-03 הַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּ֔ים hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars 6
H2748-02 חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י charetumey HNcmpc the magicians of court-engraver scholars of 3
H2748-01 בַּֽ/חֲרְטֻמִּ֖ם bacharetumim HRd/Ncmpa on the magicians court scholar-magicians 1
H2748-04 לַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּ֜ים lacharetumim HRd/Ncmpa the magicians court scholar-engravers 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2748-02 Genesis 41:8 חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י charetumey HNcmpc the magicians court-engraver scholars of
H2748-03 Genesis 41:24 הַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּ֔ים hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa magicians the engraved-scholars
H2748-02 Exodus 7:11 חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י charetumey HNcmpc the magicians of court-engraver scholars of
H2748-02 Exodus 7:22 חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י charetumey HNcmpc the magicians of court-engraver scholars of
H2748-03 Exodus 8:3 הַֽ/חֲרְטֻמִּ֖ים hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars
H2748-03 Exodus 8:14 הַ/חַרְטֻמִּ֧ים hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars
H2748-03 Exodus 8:15 הַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּים֙ hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars
H2748-03 Exodus 9:11 הַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּ֗ים hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars
H2748-01 Exodus 9:11 בַּֽ/חֲרְטֻמִּ֖ם bacharetumim HRd/Ncmpa on the magicians court scholar-magicians
H2748-03 Daniel 1:20 הַֽ/חַרְטֻמִּים֙ hacharetumim HTd/Ncmpa the magicians the engraved-scholars
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