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אַשָּׁף

𐤀𐤔𐤐

ʼashshâph

H826 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A practitioner of occult arts, specifically a court magician, conjurer, or enchanter. Used in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible to refer to individuals skilled in interpreting omens, signs, dreams, or performing ritual magic, often in royal service.

Semantic Range

magician, conjurer, enchanter, court ritual specialist, practitioner of occult arts

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; likely a loanword from Akkadian āšipu (“exorcist, magician, ritual specialist”), which denotes a practitioner in ritual and magical arts, especially in Mesopotamian temples and courts. The Hebrew form אַשָּׁף (ashaf) appears only in Aramaic passages of the biblical text, possibly entering Hebrew via Aramaic due to Babylonian influence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term appears exclusively in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (primarily Daniel 2:10, 27; 4:4; 5:7, 11), always in the context of the Babylonian court, describing a professional class of wise men or ritual specialists. These 'ashshaphs' are distinct from other groups such as astrologers, enchanters, Chaldeans, and magicians, indicating a particular type of court official specializing in magical or ritualistic arts. Usage is always in a non-Israelite context, specifically relating to exilic and post-exilic periods under Babylonian and Persian rule. Later English translations sometimes render this as 'astrologer,' regular 'magician,' or 'wizard,' but these English terms do not always capture the sense of an official, state-employed ritual expert with specific Near Eastern functions. The word does not appear in earlier Israelite contexts and represents Mesopotamian, not Israelite, religious or magical practice.

Translation Consistency

primary "magician" 2 occurrences

ʻAshshâph typically refers to a court practitioner of occult arts — one who conjures, interprets omens/dreams, and performs ritual magic. "Magician" is the natural, widely recognized English noun that covers conjurer/enchanter/astrologer senses and matches common Biblical translations, so it provides clear, consistent rendering for all occurrences.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"ritual-magicians" (2x) "or conjurer" (1x) "court-magicians" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אַשָּׁף; {a conjurer}; astrologer.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

אשף (ʾ-š-p) — perform ritual, chant, conjure

Root uncertain to perform ritual, chant, conjure (loanword from Akkadian)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H825 אַשָּׁף the court magicians
H827 אַשְׁפָּה in his arrow-case

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H826-01 אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔/א ashefaya ANcmpd/Td my enchanters the ritual-magicians the ritual-magicians 2
H826-02 אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין ashefin ANcmpa astrologers court magicians court magicians 2
H826-03 לְ/אָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔/א leashefaya ATo/Ncmpd/Td the enchanters to the court-magicians to the court-magicians 1
H826-04 וְ/אָשַׁ֥ף veashaf AC/Ncmsa or enchanter ritual conjurer or conjurer 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H826-04 Daniel 2:10 וְ/אָשַׁ֥ף veashaf AC/Ncmsa or enchanter ritual conjurer or conjurer
H826-02 Daniel 2:27 אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין ashefin ANcmpa enchanters court magicians court magicians
H826-01 Daniel 4:4 אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔/א ashefaya ANcmpd/Td my enchanters the ritual-magicians the ritual-magicians
H826-03 Daniel 5:7 לְ/אָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔/א leashefaya ATo/Ncmpd/Td the enchanters to the court-magicians to the court-magicians
H826-02 Daniel 5:11 אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין ashefin ANcmpa astrologers court magicians court magicians
H826-01 Daniel 5:15 אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔/א ashefaya ANcmpd/Td the enchanters the ritual-magicians the ritual-magicians
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