כָּשַׁף
𐤊𐤔𐤐
kâshaph
H3784 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To practice sorcery or magic; to perform acts associated with incantation, enchantment, or magic arts. The verb refers to the act of engaging in magical practices intended to exert supernatural influence, typically through spoken spells or rituals designed to manipulate events or people.
Semantic Range
to perform magic arts; to use spells or incantations; to act as a sorcerer or magician; to engage in forbidden ritual manipulation; to enchant; to practice what is classified by Israelites as illicit supernatural acts
Root / Etymology
Root כָּשַׁף (kšp). The core meaning of the root is 'to practice sorcery, engage in magic arts.' The precise etymology beyond this is uncertain, as there is insufficient evidence to connect the root with cognates in related Semitic languages. The verb is attested in various Hebrew forms and consistently relates to the activity of magical practitioners.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, כָּשַׁף refers to individuals or acts associated with magic or sorcery—practices generally viewed negatively in Israelite religious and legal contexts. Laws in the Torah (e.g. Exodus 22:17, Deuteronomy 18:10) explicitly prohibit the activity, identifying it as antithetical to proper Israelite worship and community standards. In narrative and prophetic literature, the term can encompass a broad range of ritual practices identified as 'sorcery' from the Israelite perspective, often contrasting Israelite religious purity with foreign, especially Babylonian or Egyptian, practices. The term is distinct from other words such as עָנָן (ʿanan, to practice soothsaying or augury) or נַחֵשׁ (naḥesh, to practice divination), though there is some semantic overlap. In later Jewish and Christian translations, terms like 'witch,' 'sorcerer,' or 'magician' are used, but these English words often carry connotations not present in the biblical text and sometimes reflect post-biblical ideas about witchcraft or demonology. The ancient Near Eastern concept of a kashaph was not necessarily gender-specific, and the word is used for both male and female practitioners. In exilic and post-exilic texts (e.g., Daniel), the word can denote members of the foreign court magician class. The word entered some post-biblical Jewish literature (e.g., Targumim) with a similar pejorative meaning.
Translation Consistency
kâshaph refers primarily to engaging in the activity of sorcery or magic arts. The verb “practice” naturally and consistently conveys performing an ongoing, skilled activity (e.g., practice sorcery / practice magic) and reads naturally in English across the verb’s forms while allowing the necessary object (sorcery/magic/spells) to be supplied by context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to whisper aspell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic; sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft).
Bantu Hebrew
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כשף (k-š-p) — to practice sorcery, to use magic arts, to enchant
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3784-05 |
וְ/לַֽ/מְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים | velamekhashefim | HC/Rd/Vprmpa |
and the sorcerers | and to the sorcery-practicers | and to those practicing sorcery | 2 |
H3784-02 |
מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה | mekhashefah | HVprfsa |
sorceress | sorcery-practicing woman | sorcery-practicing woman | 1 |
H3784-01 |
בַּֽ/מְכַשְּׁפִים֙ | bamekhashefim | HRd/Vprmpa |
against-sorcerers | in the sorcery-practicing ones | against the sorcerers | 1 |
H3784-03 |
וּ/מְכַשֵּֽׁף | umekhashef | HC/Vprmsa |
or a sorcerer | and a sorcery practitioner | or sorcery practitioner | 1 |
H3784-04 |
וְֽ/כִשֵּׁ֔ף | vekhishef | HC/Vpp3ms |
and practiced sorcery | he practiced sorcery | and he practiced sorcery | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3784-05 |
Exodus 7:11 | וְ/לַֽ/מְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים | velamekhashefim | HC/Rd/Vprmpa |
and the sorcerers | and to the sorcery-practicers | and to those practicing sorcery |
H3784-02 |
Exodus 22:17 | מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה | mekhashefah | HVprfsa |
sorceress | sorcery-practicing woman | sorcery-practicing woman |
H3784-03 |
Deuteronomy 18:10 | וּ/מְכַשֵּֽׁף | umekhashef | HC/Vprmsa |
or a sorcerer | and a sorcery practitioner | or sorcery practitioner |
H3784-01 |
Malachi 3:5 | בַּֽ/מְכַשְּׁפִים֙ | bamekhashefim | HRd/Vprmpa |
against-sorcerers | in the sorcery-practicing ones | against the sorcerers |
H3784-05 |
Daniel 2:2 | וְ/לַֽ/מְכַשְּׁפִים֙ | velamekhashefim | HC/Rd/Vprmpa |
and the sorcerers | and to the sorcery-practicers | and to those practicing sorcery |
H3784-04 |
2 Chronicles 33:6 | וְֽ/כִשֵּׁ֔ף | vekhishef | HC/Vpp3ms |
and practiced sorcery | he practiced sorcery | and he practiced sorcery |