King James Bible
King James Version (KJV)
STRONGS NUMBER H5172
Transliteration: nachash
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khash')
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to practice divination, observe signs
Meaning: to hiss, whisper a, spell, to prognosticate
Word Summary
nachash: to practice divination, observe signs
Original Word: נָחַשׁTransliteration: nachash
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khash')
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to practice divination, observe signs
Meaning: to hiss, whisper a, spell, to prognosticate
Strong's Concordance
certainly, divine, enchanter, use enchantment, learn by experience, diligently observe A primitive root; properly, to hiss, i.e. Whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate -- X certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) X enchantment, learn by experience, X indeed, diligently observe.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
H5172. nachash
II. [נָחַשׁ verb only
Pi`el practise divination, divine, observe signs (denominative from נָהָשׁ according to NöZeitschr. f. Völkerpsychol. i (1860), 413 BauSemitic Rel. i. 287 LagBN 188 GerberVerb. Denom. 29; otherwise WeSkizzen iii. 147 MeiChrest. Targ. 8. see BaES 48 (against him see StaThLz April 28, 1894, 235); chief difficulty is that Aramaic, which has נַחֵשׁ, has no נָחָשׁ compare RSJPh.xiv. 115; — Late Hebrew Qal Participle נוֺחֵשׁ, and Pi`el; Aramaic Pa`el נַחֵשׁ, , all = divine, learn by omens; perhaps compare also Arabic be unlucky Lane2775 compare Mei1.c); — Perfect3masculine singular וְנִחֵשׁ 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6; 1 singular נִחַ֫שְׁתִּי Genesis 30:27; Imperfect יְגַחֵשׁ 44:5, 15; 3masculine plural יְנַחֲשׁוּ 1 Kings 20:33, וַיְנַחָ֑שׁוּ 2 Kings 17:17; 2masculine plural תְּנַחֲשׁוּ Leviticus 19:26; Infinitive absolute נַחֵשׁ1 Kings 20:33; Participle מְנַחֵשׁ Deuteronomy 18:10 (compare especially RSJPhoenician xiv. .113 ff.); —
1 practise divination Genesis 44:5 (J; by means of cup, i.e. by hydromancy), with implied power to learn secret things 44:15; condemned by prophetic writer 2 Kings 21:6 2 Chronicles 33:6 (+ וְיִדְּעֹנִים אוֺב וְעָשָׂח עוֺנֵן), 2 Kings 17:17 ("" קְסָמִים וַיִּקְסְמוּ); forbidden in D and H: Deuteronomy 18:10 ( + וּמְכַשֵּׁף מְעוֺנֵן קְסָמִים קֹסֵם), Leviticus 19:26 (H; "" תְּעוֺנֵנ֑וּ).
2 observe the signs or omens Genesis 30:27 (j); so probably יְנַחֲשׁוּ 1 Kings 20:33 now the men were observing the signs.