← H3048 H3050 →

יִדְּעֹנִי

𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤍𐤉

yiddᵉʻônîy

H3049 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ידע to know, to perceive, to understand

Definition

An individual who claims to possess knowledge or the ability to communicate with the dead or unseen spiritual forces, often through necromantic or divinatory practices. In biblical contexts, יִדְּעֹנִי refers to mediums or spiritists—persons regarded as having special access to arcane or forbidden knowledge, especially as intermediaries with the spirits of the dead. The term frequently appears alongside אוֹב ('medium,' 'necromancer').

Semantic Range

medium, necromancer, spiritist, practitioner of divination, knowing one (with occult or illicit knowledge), conjurer, (not 'ghost' or impersonal spirit)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root יָדַע (to know). The formation יִדְּעֹנִי includes a nominalizing suffix, likely indicating 'one who knows.' While the root connotes knowledge or understanding, the lexical form points specifically to a person believed to have esoteric or supernatural knowledge, especially in the context of contacting the dead.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, יִדְּעֹנִי is consistently referenced as a practitioner of forbidden arts, condemned alongside other necromantic and divinatory figures (Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 1 Samuel, 2 Kings, Isaiah). The Torah prohibits consulting יִדְּעֹנִים, associating them with practices considered illicit by the Israelite cultic system. In the prophetic and legal texts, the term is often paired with אוֹב, suggesting either overlapping or distinct illicit roles concerning spirit communication. In English Bible translations, 'wizard' or 'familiar spirit' often appear, but these renderings do not precisely capture the Israelite cultural context, where such figures are understood as mediums or spiritists—practitioners of necromancy or divination. The English term 'wizard' imports a later, often fantastical, meaning not present in the ancient context. There is a lexical distinction between יִדְּעֹנִי and other divinatory figures; the former is focused on knowledge (especially illicit or supernatural) conveyed by spirits. In later Jewish literature and translation traditions (such as the Septuagint), the term is rendered with Greek words connoting ventriloquists or oracles, reflecting changing concepts of mediating the supernatural. No evidence suggests the term referred to 'ghost' or disembodied spirit; rather, it always indicates the human practitioner. The term persists into the Second Temple period but is replaced or interpreted in various ways in Hellenistic contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָדַע; properly, a knowing one; specifically, a conjurer; (by impl) a ghost; wizard.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ידע (y-d-ʿ) — to know, to perceive, to understand

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1668 דָּא Know!
H1843 דֵּעַ Know!
H1844 דֵּעָה perceptive knowledge
H1845 דְּעוּאֵל God Knows
H1847 דַּעַת by his knowledge

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3049-02 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the spiritists the knowing mediums 6
H3049-03 וְ/יִדְּעֹנִ֔י veyideoni HC/Ncmsa and spiritists and occult knower 2
H3049-05 יִדְּעֹנִ֖י yideoni HNcmsa a spiritist occult knower 1
H3049-01 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֖י hayideoni HTd/Ncmsa the spiritists the spirit-knowing one 1
H3049-04 וְ/יִדְּעֹנִ֑ים veyideonim HC/Ncmpa and spiritists and occult-knowers 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3049-02 Leviticus 19:31 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the spiritists the knowing mediums
H3049-02 Leviticus 20:6 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the spiritists the knowing mediums
H3049-05 Leviticus 20:27 יִדְּעֹנִ֖י yideoni HNcmsa a spiritist occult knower
H3049-03 Deuteronomy 18:11 וְ/יִדְּעֹנִ֔י veyideoni HC/Ncmsa or a wizard and occult knower
H3049-02 1 Samuel 28:3 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the spiritists the knowing mediums
H3049-01 1 Samuel 28:9 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֖י hayideoni HTd/Ncmsa the spiritists the spirit-knowing one
H3049-04 2 Kings 21:6 וְ/יִדְּעֹנִ֑ים veyideonim HC/Ncmpa and spiritists and occult-knowers
H3049-02 2 Kings 23:24 הַ֠/יִּדְּעֹנִים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa spiritists the knowing mediums
H3049-02 Isaiah 8:19 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the spiritists the knowing mediums
H3049-02 Isaiah 19:3 הַ/יִּדְּעֹנִֽים hayideonim HTd/Ncmpa the-wizards the knowing mediums
← H3048 Hebrew Lexicon H3050 →