Witchcraft in the Old Testament

G. R. Driver

doi:10.1017/S0035869X00098117

Witchcraft in the Old Testament

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

G. R. Driver

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Dr. Guillaume, following Professor Mowinckel, has recently examined a number of passages in the Old Testament in which he suspects traces of magical practices, incidentally throwing light on several obscure Hebrew words and phrases which have hitherto defied interpretation, or rather satisfactory interpretation.

Type: Articles
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 75 , Issue 1-2 , January 1943 , pp. 6 - 16

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00098117 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1943

References

^{page 6 note 1} In JRAS., 1942, 111–131.

^{page 6 note 2} See p. 8, n. 1. The root denoting witchcraft is sḫr, which seems originally to have referred to magic circles (see Höfner, and Rhodokanakis, in WZKM., 43, 216–17)Google Scholar; the Acc. sāḫiru and Hebr. “magician” (Ewald; see Driver, in JTS., 36, 400–1)Google Scholar, the Hebr. “was bewitched” (see Thomas, in JTS., 40, 390–1)Google Scholar, and the Arab, “sorcery” (see Meissner, , Kg.AG., § 8Google Scholar b for ḫ = ḥ) prove this. May also the Targ.-Aram. (e.g. Qoh., ix, 14) be added to these words?

^{page 7 note 1} In Bab.-Ass. Qlossar, 2–3.

^{page 7 note 2} In CDAL., 52–3.

^{page 7 note 3} There seem to be no instances of initial being interchanged with w or y except in the hypothetical (whence ) = “he went” and in a small number of onomatopoeic roots (e.g. Hebr. = Arab. , Hebr. = = and Arab = ), which have no bearing on the present problem.

^{page 8 note 1} So explained after the Syr. Pa. domuit, coegit (of. Aram, , Pa. “impressed for service”), Arab, “constrained”, and (1) “scoffed”, (2) “abashed”, with which the Ace. Šaḫrartu “oppression” is probably connected; cf. Is., viii, 20, where may mean “compulsion, power to compel” (Driver, in JTS., 36, 400–1Google Scholar; 41, 162).

^{page 9 note 1} For (Hermańn, following several ancient versions).

^{page 9 note 2} So Q.

^{page 9 note 3} So Ehrlich, , Psalmen, 312Google Scholar.

^{page 9 note 4} Gen., viii, 1; Ps., ciii, 16; Jb., xxxvii, 21 (); Prov., x, 25 ().

^{page 9 note 5} Jb., viii, 2.

^{page 10 note 1} So Dr. Guillaume (see p. 12, n. 3).

^{page 10 note 2} Driver, in ZAtW., 52, 144Google Scholar.

^{page 10 note 3} Literally “a lip of naughtiness”, in which ProfessorMowinckel, (Klagepsalmen, 181)Google Scholar sees witchcraft—surely a clear proof that the parallel too means “spells”!

^{page 10 note 4} I put here the passage in which is related to “palate”, since that is there mentioned as an organ of taste or perception rather than of speech (Davidson, , Job, 50)Google Scholar.

^{page 10 note 5} So Lagarde with several ancient versions.

^{page 10 note 6} That is, their charges are unsubstantiated (see p. 12).

^{page 11 note 1} So Dr. Guillaume (see p. 12, n. 3).

^{page 11 note 2} Jb., vi, 26 (, si vera lectio).

^{page 11 note 3} Here again (see p. 10, n. 3)!

^{page 11 note 4} One must have displaced a word of similar form and meaning.

^{page 11 note 5} So Dr. Guillaume, aptly comparing the Arab. “trembled; composed rhymes, made spells”; he, of course, ex hypothesi is bound to prefer the second sense.

^{page 11 note 6} Or (Toy with several ancient Versions); but is the pronominal suffix necessary? The Versions may merely be filling in the sense from the context.

^{page 12 note 1} Thompson, , Devils and Evil Spirits, ii, 130–1 Y 5–6Google Scholar.

^{page 12 note 2} Deut., xiii, 15; xvii, 4.

^{page 12 note 3} So Dr. Guillaume, who aptly compares the Syr. or and accusavit, calumniatus est, to which the Arab. “charged (a person) with (a thing)” may be added.

^{page 13 note 1} So Graetz with several ancient Versions.

^{page 13 note 2} Cf. Jb., i, 19, where it is said that “there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men and they are dead”.

^{page 13 note 3} Langdon, , Creation, i, 142Google Scholar; ii, 29; iii, 33, 91. The fundamental sense of the is that of “back”, whence it is used of driving as done from behind and of that Which lies in wait for a man behind bis back, such as “plague” (Hebr. ) and “death” (Arab. ), whence it comes to be applied to anything that is destructive or unlucky, such as “ruin” (Arab. ) and “defeat” or “adversity” (Arab. ) and any “violent deed” (Ace. dabratu); cf. Syr. “drove with violence, oppressed” and “agitation”.

^{page 13 note 4} Meissner, , Betiräge zum assyrischen Worterbuch, i, 34Google Scholar.

^{page 13 note 5} Jb., xxvii, 20–1.

^{page 14 note 1} Deut., xviii, 11; Ps., lviii, 6.

^{page 14 note 2} Exod., xxii, 17 (18); Deut., xviii, 10–11.

^{page 14 note 3} Rawlinson, , CIWA., vGoogle Scholar [not “tablet iv” I], 50 (= Fossey, , Magie, 434–5)Google Scholar, 66.

^{page 14 note 4} This is riksī rakāsu (Meier, , Maqlû, iv, 108)Google Scholar.

^{page 14 note 5} Ezek., xiii, 18–20 (see Cooke, , Ezekiel, 145–6)Google Scholar.

^{page 14 note 6} An Aramaizing spelling of ; cf. (1 Sam., xxii, 2; Is., xxiv, 2) for (Exod., xxii, 24).

^{page 14 note 7} Cf. “and the mouth of the wicked concealeth violence”, i.e. injurious words (Prpv., x, 6, 11).

^{page 14 note 8} Cf. Schroder, in Theol. Stud. u. Krit., 41, 643Google Scholar, who proposes “will he that dissembleth ruin be an associate of him that frameth mischief? i.e. will these two knaves enter into partnershisp to procure the ruin of the righteous; but the pronominal suffix with the verb is attested by all the ancient versions and is too difficult to be lightly discarded. There is no objection to the Qal of in this sense (see Prov., xii, 16, 23).