I've seen a lot of people laying claim to the hebrew stating that this originally meant poisoner and not witch.. the actual word is "sorcerer" and not poisoner. Sorry folks, can't skirt this one with attempting to rewrite Hebrew. There is no word for poisoner in ancient hebrew. But, nice try.. next time, study out hebrew first, and don't believe everything you read on an internet site. Your thoughts?
2007-07-19 11:10:23 · 19 answers · asked by Kallan 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
btw, I happen to be a witch who studied hebrew for many years.
2007-07-19 11:16:45 · update #1
Mikalina, the Kabbalah was written in the 15th century, long after the Torah was written by Bronze age men in tents. A quick study of history explains that for you.
2007-07-19 11:25:24 · update #2
Actually - it means enchanter or seducer if you will. Kashaph.
That is, a person who uses enchantments to dominate others.
Other peoples:
Diviners
Soothsayers
The version of witch or sorcerer that is a poisoner is found in the new testament. Greek word for that is pharmakos.
Witch and sorcerer were generic catchalls.
Thumbs down for answer that is right?
2007-07-19 11:59:04 · answer #1 · answered by Emperor Insania Says Bye! 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
As Samurai said...be careful of using LITERAL translations of ancient (and sometimes not so ancient) texts...they may be out-of-context. We can only assume what these Hebrews were trying to prevent by denouncing those they called sorcerer or witches...or any number of other 'unclean' ways, which is to say, anything not in-line with their traditions and practices. Which, as it was also mentioned already...they tended to IGNORE if it suited them at the time...like predicting rain or crops, etc. The forbiding of 'talking to the dead' is another great example of confusion; as the regional peoples 'consulted' their dead relatives for many things...and these were often the skull of that person...the Hebrews, naturally-enough, found this disturbing. We no longer obey MOST of the laws which were written at that time...why do we pick-and-choose those we do obey? Easy answer: because that's what we have chosen to do, NOW. Get over yourselves about this...'suffer a witch'...that's the 'excuse' they used for torturing and killing MILLIONS of innocents over the centuries...can we NOW choose to be more evolved than that...please?!?
PS: "I am NOT a witch...they just dress me up to look like one!" "Well, we did do the hat...and the nose..." [Monty Python and the Holy Grail]
2007-07-19 15:22:36 · answer #2 · answered by Rev Debi Brady 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here's a bit of the Sorcery the ancient Hebrews openly practiced.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It has been universal in all ages and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by Rods, Hos. 4 :12; divination by arrows, Ezek, 21:21; divination by cups, Gen. 44:5; consultation of teraphim, 1 Sam. 15:23 ; Ezek. 21: 21; Zech. 10:2 ; divination by the liver, Ezek.21:21; divination by dreams, Deut. 13:2,3; Judges 7:13; Jer. '23:32; consultation of oracles, Is a. 41:2l.-24, 44:7.
Moses forbade every species of divination, because a prying into the future clouds the mind with superstition, and because it would have been an incentive to idolatry.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One comment; the Hebrews never stopped consulting outside oracles. Such consultation appears throughout the Old testament and appears in the new. The infamous young slave woman who the apostles supposedly exorcized when she praised them for future actions too much was not killed.
2007-07-19 12:31:45 · answer #3 · answered by Terry 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Why yes, yes it does. As does stoning homosexuals to death and other such passages. However, I believe this particular passage is a known forgery, it was added to the bible during the middle ages as a means of control. The last pope admitted this. However, murder is a relavent term. If I take an ax to a murderer I've murdered him, but If an exicutioner sanctioned by the state does he's just doing his job. In the past it was argued that killing a whitch was commanded by god the highest authority thus it was not murder, merely killing which is not unlike when god calls the hebrew people to slaughter jericho or any other number of peoples the bible claims the hebrew people aniliated.
2016-05-17 21:51:24 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the Bible was translated into English during the King Jame reign There was great persecution of witches. It is believed that they translated the writings to fit the times they were living in at that time.
2007-07-20 00:59:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The implication in the original Hebrew is that the "witch" is in league with Satan so as to be able to practice his/her "magic" for evil intents and purposes and is thereby opposing the "rule" of YHWH.
This conception of a "witch" is far removed from those who currently practice various forms of "Wiccan" beliefs, which appears to be a form of nature worship.
The idea of a posioner is from posioning the souls of the faithful Jews, luring them away from YHWH and thereby to their death (spiritually and physically).
Consult your local rabbi from more details and be careful of "literal" translations from any language as such usually misses the truer meaning and becomes lost in translation.
may it all be well with you.
2007-07-19 13:45:44 · answer #6 · answered by Big Bill 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
leviticus 19:31 20:27 & 20:6 you can get the jist medium wizard
2007-07-19 11:26:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It was a commandment to Israel.
Very simple concept here.
The Bible only recognizes two sources of supernatural power - God and Satan.
To consort with any supernatural power other than the God who miraculously delivered them from Egyptian bondage, protected them for forty years in the wilderness and brought them into the land of Promise was high treason, a crime punishable by death. It is not unreasonable for God, who gives to all life to require that life if it is being misused and becomes a source of harm to others who are seeking to live in obedience to Him.
2007-07-19 11:24:33 · answer #8 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Hello sweet Friend..♫♥Kallan♥♫.. :)
That was the Old Testament..such as and eye for an eye..which we know Jesus said:
Matthew 5
Love for Enemies
38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: Ex. 21.24 · Lev. 24.20 · Deut. 19.21
39 but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, Lev. 19.18 and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Jesus came to show and teach us to Love One another.. :)
In Jesus Most Precious Name..
With Love..your Friend..In Christ.. :)
2007-07-20 02:01:12 · answer #9 · answered by EyeLovesJesus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no matter the case i think that liviticus is trumped by the ten comandments and that says thou shall not kill. so even if the person you are killing is a witch, posioner, or sorcerer your sin in killing them is worse
2007-07-19 11:16:21 · answer #10 · answered by slo18 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋