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The Blue Letter Bible

Lexicon :: Strong's H178 - 'ôḇ

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אוֹב
Transliteration
'ôḇ
Pronunciation
obe
Listen
Part of Speech
masculine noun
Root Word (Etymology)
From the same as אָב (H1) (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name)
Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 37a

Strong’s Definitions

אוֹב ʼôwb, obe; from the same as H1 (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name); properly, a mumble, i.e. a water-skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar):—bottle, familiar spirit.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 17x

The KJV translates Strong's H178 in the following manner: familiar spirit(s) (16x), bottles (1x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 17x
The KJV translates Strong's H178 in the following manner: familiar spirit(s) (16x), bottles (1x).

  1. water skin bottle

  2. necromancer

    1. necromancer, one who evokes the dead

    2. ghost, spirit of a dead one

    3. practice of necromancy

  3. one that has a familiar spirit

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)
אוֹב ʼôwb, obe; from the same as H1 (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name); properly, a mumble, i.e. a water-skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar):—bottle, familiar spirit.
STRONGS H178: Abbreviations
אוֺב noun masculineJob 32:19 skin-bottle, necromancer, etc. — absolute א׳ Leviticus 20:27 + 8 times; plural אֹבוֺת Leviticus 19:31 + 7 times —
1. skin-bottle, only plural אֹבוֺת חֲדָשִׁים new (wine-) skins Job 32:19.
2. necromancer, in phrase אוֺב אוֺ יִדְּעֹנִי necromancer or wizard Leviticus 20:27 (H; usually translated 'a man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard' RV; but better a man or a woman, if there should be among them, a necromancer or wizard; no sufficient reason for exceptional use of phrase here); וְיִדְּעֹנִי א׳ Deuteronomy 18:11; 2 Chronicles 33:6 = 2 Kings 21:6 (where וידענים א׳); הָאֹבוֺת וְהַיִּדְּעֹנִים Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6 (H) 1 Samuel 28:3, 9; 2 Kings 23:24; Isaiah 8:19 (where repres. as chirping & muttering, in practice of their art of seeking dead for instruction, probably ventriloquism, & so Greek Version of the LXX) Isaiah 19:3.
3. ghost, Isaiah 29:4 וְהָיָה כְּאוֺב מֵאֶרֶץ קוֺלֵח וּמֵעָפָר אִמְרָתֵח תְּצַפְצֵף and thy voice shall be as a ghost from the ground and from the dust thy speech shall chirp (so Ge MV Ew De Che and others, but chirping might be of necromancer, as Isaiah 8:19).
4. necromancy אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־אוֺב a woman who was mistress of necromancy 1 Samuel 28:7 (twice in verse); (> RSJPh xiv, 127 f makes אוֺב primarily a subterranean spirit, and significant. 2 only an abbreviation of בעלתא׳ etc.); קסם בּאוֺב divine by necromancy 1 Samuel 28:8, which seems to be interpretation of 1 Chronicles 10:13 שׁאל בא׳ inquire by necromancy. (In these three examples אוֺב is usually interpreted as ghost or familiar spirit conceived as dwelling in necromancer; but this apparently not the ancient conception.)
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com

BLB Scripture Index of Brown-Driver-Briggs

Leviticus

19:31; 19:31; 20:6; 20:27; 20:27

Deuteronomy

18:11

1 Samuel

28:3; 28:7; 28:8; 28:9

2 Kings

21:6; 23:24

1 Chronicles

10:13

2 Chronicles

33:6

Job

32:19; 32:19

Isaiah

8:19; 8:19; 19:3; 29:4

H178

Read the Full Entry

Word / Phrase / Strong's Search

Strong's Number H178 matches the Hebrew אוֹב ('ôḇ),
which occurs 17 times in 16 verses in the WLC Hebrew.

Tools

Unchecked Copy Box Lev 19:31

Unchecked Copy BoxLev 19:31 - “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.

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Unchecked Copy Box Lev 20:6

Unchecked Copy BoxLev 20:6 - “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

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Unchecked Copy Box Lev 20:27

Unchecked Copy BoxLev 20:27 - “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Deu 18:11

Unchecked Copy BoxDeu 18:11 - or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:3 - Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:7 - Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:8 - So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:9 - The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Ki 21:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 21:6 - And he burned his son as an offering[fn] and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Ki 23:24

Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 23:24 - Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Ch 10:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Ch 10:13 - So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Ch 33:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Ch 33:6 - And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

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Unchecked Copy Box Job 32:19

Unchecked Copy BoxJob 32:19 - Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;
like new wineskins ready to burst.

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Unchecked Copy Box Isa 8:19

Unchecked Copy BoxIsa 8:19 - And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

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Unchecked Copy Box Isa 19:3

Unchecked Copy BoxIsa 19:3 - and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,
and I will confound[fn] their counsel;
and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers,
and the mediums and the necromancers;

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Unchecked Copy Box Isa 29:4

Unchecked Copy BoxIsa 29:4 - And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak,
and from the dust your speech will be bowed down;
your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost,
and from the dust your speech shall whisper.
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