חַרְטֹם
𐤇𐤓𐤈𐤌
charṭôm
H2749 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A practitioner of occult or esoteric knowledge at royal courts, particularly one skilled in reading, interpreting, or manipulating signs through magical means, ritual writing, or divination. The term refers to a professional deemed wise in mysteries, typically consulted to interpret dreams, omens, or hidden matters, and is most often used of court magicians or magi in Mesopotamian or Egyptian contexts.
Semantic Range
magician, ritual specialist, diviner, expert interpreter of omens or dreams, court sage/priest with occult knowledge
Root / Etymology
From the root ח־ר־ט (חרט), meaning 'to engrave, inscribe, scratch.' The term probably originated as a designation for a person who inscribes, such as one who writes or draws in the context of magical or ritual practices. The final ם (mem) is a nominal ending, yielding 'one who inscribes/engraves' or 'scribe'—but in specialized usage, 'magician' or 'diviner.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, especially in Daniel (Aramaic portions; e.g., Daniel 1:20, 2:2), חַרְטֹם (charṭôm) refers to a class of specialist at royal courts (Babylonian, Persian) who claimed expertise in secret or forbidden knowledge, often linked to magical arts, astrology, or interpretation of dreams. The Hebrew form, with similar meaning, is found in the Egyptian context of Genesis and Exodus, where it denotes Egyptian court magicians or advisors to Pharaoh. The English term 'magician' captures part, but not all, of the ancient nuance: these were not solely entertainers, but respected consultants and scholars of omens, dreams, and ritual. In later periods, the Greek equivalent μάγος (magos) and the Latin 'magus' and 'magician' overlap, but the biblical term's context is pre-Hellenistic. Not synonymous with other terms for wise men or sages, such as חָכָם (ḥakham) or אַשָּׁף (ashaf), though they sometimes appear together. The Septuagint renders the term with Greek equivalents like μάγος or γραμματεύς ('scribe'), reflecting the mixed role as both ritual specialist and learned court functionary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) the same as חַרְטֹם; {a horoscopist (as drawing magical lines or circles)}; magician.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרט (ḥ-r-ṭ) — inscribe, engrave, scratch
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2749-02 |
חַרְטֻמַיָּ/א֙ | charetumaya | ANcmpd/Td |
my magicians | court magicians | 2 | |
H2749-03 |
חַרְטֻמִּין֙ | charetumin | ANcmpa |
magicians | court inscriber-diviners | 2 | |
H2749-01 |
חַרְטֹּ֖ם | charetom | ANcmsa |
magician | occult inscriber | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2749-01 |
Daniel 2:10 | חַרְטֹּ֖ם | charetom | ANcmsa |
magician | occult inscriber | |
H2749-03 |
Daniel 2:27 | חַרְטֻמִּין֙ | charetumin | ANcmpa |
magicians | court inscriber-diviners | |
H2749-02 |
Daniel 4:4 | חַרְטֻמַיָּ/א֙ | charetumaya | ANcmpd/Td |
my magicians | court magicians | |
H2749-02 |
Daniel 4:6 | חַרְטֻמַיָּ/א֒ | charetumaya | ANcmpd/Td |
of the magicians | court magicians | |
H2749-03 |
Daniel 5:11 | חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין | charetumin | ANcmpa |
of the magicians | court inscriber-diviners |