Daniel 1:20

1:20 In every matter of wisdom and ¹  insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times ²  better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.

Daniel 4:6

4:6 So I issued an order ³  for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought ⁴  before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Daniel 5:7

5:7 The king called out loudly ⁵  to summon ⁶  the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed ⁷  to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple ⁸  and have a golden collar ⁹  placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

Genesis 41:8

41:8 In the morning he ¹⁰  was troubled, so he called for ¹¹  all the diviner-priests ¹²  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ¹³  but no one could interpret ¹⁴  them for him. ¹⁵ 

Exodus 7:11

7:11 Then Pharaoh also summoned wise men and sorcerers, ¹⁶  and the magicians ¹⁷  of Egypt by their secret arts ¹⁸  did the same thing.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

18:10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, ¹⁹  anyone who practices divination, ²⁰  an omen reader, ²¹  a soothsayer, ²²  a sorcerer, ²³  18:11 one who casts spells, ²⁴  one who conjures up spirits, ²⁵  a practitioner of the occult, ²⁶  or a necromancer. ²⁷  18:12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things ²⁸  the Lord your God is about to drive them out ²⁹  from before you.

Isaiah 8:19

Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives

8:19 ³⁰ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ³¹  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ³² 

Isaiah 19:3

19:3 The Egyptians will panic, ³³ 

and I will confuse their strategy. ³⁴ 

They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,

from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. ³⁵ 

Isaiah 47:12-13

47:12 Persist ³⁶  in trusting ³⁷  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ³⁸  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ³⁹  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ⁴⁰ 

47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. ⁴¹ 

Let them take their stand –

the ones who see omens in the sky,

who gaze at the stars,

who make monthly predictions –

let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! ⁴² 

[1:20]  ¹ tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.

[1:20]  ² tn Heb “hands.”

[4:6]  ³ tn Aram “from me there was placed a decree.”

[4:6]  ⁴ tn The Aramaic infinitive here is active.

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Aram “in strength.”

[5:7]  ⁶ tn Aram “cause to enter.”

[5:7]  ⁷ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[5:7]  ⁸ sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.

[5:7]  ⁹ tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).

[41:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[41:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.

[41:8]  ¹² tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.

[41:8]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).

[41:8]  ¹⁴ tn “there was no interpreter.”

[41:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:11]  ¹⁶ sn For information on this Egyptian material, see D. B. Redford, A Study of the Biblical Story of Joseph (VTSup), 203-4.

[7:11]  ¹⁷ tn The חַרְטֻּמִּים (kharttummim) seem to have been the keepers of Egypt’s religious and magical texts, the sacred scribes.

[7:11]  ¹⁸ tn The term בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם (bÿlahatehem) means “by their secret arts”; it is from לוּט (lut, “to enwrap”). The Greek renders the word “by their magic”; Tg. Onq. uses “murmurings” and “whispers,” and other Jewish sources “dazzling display” or “demons” (see further B. Jacob, Exodus, 253-54). They may have done this by clever tricks, manipulation of the animals, or demonic power. Many have suggested that Aaron and the magicians were familiar with an old trick in which they could temporarily paralyze a serpent and then revive it. But here Aaron’s snake swallows up their snakes.

[18:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “who passes his son or his daughter through the fire.” The expression “pass…through the fire” is probably a euphemism for human sacrifice (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT). See also Deut 12:31.

[18:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “a diviner of divination” (קֹסֵם קְסָמִים, qosem qÿsamim). This was a means employed to determine the future or the outcome of events by observation of various omens and signs (cf. Num 22:7; 23:23; Josh 13:22; 1 Sam 6:2; 15:23; 28:8; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 3:945-51.

[18:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “one who causes to appear” (מְעוֹנֵן, mÿ’onen). Such a practitioner was thought to be able to conjure up spirits or apparitions (cf. Lev 19:26; Judg 9:37; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 2:6; 57:3; Jer 27:9; Mic 5:11).

[18:10]  ²² tn Heb “a seeker of omens” (מְנַחֵשׁ, mÿnakhesh). This is a subset of divination, one illustrated by the use of a “divining cup” in the story of Joseph (Gen 44:5).

[18:10]  ²³ tn Heb “a doer of sorcery” (מְכַשֵּׁף, mikhashef). This has to do with magic or the casting of spells in order to manipulate the gods or the powers of nature (cf. Lev 19:26-31; 2 Kgs 17:15b-17; 21:1-7; Isa 57:3, 5; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 2:735-38.

[18:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “a binder of binding” (חֹבֵר חָבֶר, khover khaver). The connotation is that of immobilizing (“binding”) someone or something by the use of magical words (cf. Ps 58:6; Isa 47:9, 12).

[18:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “asker of a [dead] spirit” (שֹׁאֵל אוֹב, sho’el ’ov). This is a form of necromancy (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam 28:8, 9; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4).

[18:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “a knowing [or “familiar”] [spirit]” (יִדְּעֹנִי, yiddÿ’oniy), i.e., one who is expert in mantic arts (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3).

[18:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “a seeker of the dead.” This is much the same as “one who conjures up spirits” (cf. 1 Sam 28:6-7).

[18:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here.

[18:12]  ²⁹ tn The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.

[8:19]  ³⁰ tn It is uncertain if the prophet or the Lord is speaking in vv. 19-22. If the latter, then vv. 19-22 resume the speech recorded in vv. 12-15, after the prophet’s response in vv. 16-18.

[8:19]  ³¹ tn Heb “inquire of the ritual pits and of the magicians who chirp and mutter.” The Hebrew word אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת (ba’alat-’ov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ’OñBù,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.

[8:19]  ³² tn Heb “Should a nation not inquire of its gods on behalf of the living, (by inquiring) of the dead?” These words appear to be a continuation of the quotation begun in the first part of the verse. אֱלֹהָיו (’elohayv) may be translated “its gods” or “its God.” Some take the second half of the verse as the prophet’s (or the Lord’s) rebuke of the people who advise seeking oracles at the ritual pits, but in this case the words “the dead on behalf of the living” are difficult to explain.

[19:3]  ³³ tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”

[19:3]  ³⁴ tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.

[19:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.

[47:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ³⁷ tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ³⁸ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ³⁹ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.

[47:13]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”

[47:13]  ⁴² tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”