---
title: נָחַשׁ — practice divination · The Tanakh dictionary
description: נָחַשׁ (5172), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 11 times: practice divination. BDB 1906: vb. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# נָחַשׁ

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«נָחַשׁ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **practice divination** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 11 times · **Key:** 5172 · **BDB:** נָחַשׁ

### Glosses

he.practiced.divination (2); he.practices.divination (2); indeed.(divine) (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

practice divination [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5172/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5172/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. only practise divination, divine, observe signs (denom. from נָחָשׁ according to NöZeitschr. f. Völkerpsychol. i (1860), 413 BauSem. Rel., i. 287 LagBN 188 GerberVerb. Denom. 29; otherwise WeSkizzen iii. 147 MeChrest. Targ. s.v. BAES 48 (agst. him v. Sta Th Lz, April 28, 1894, 235); chief difficulty is that Aramaic, which has נַהֵשׁ, has no נָחָשׁ, cf. RSJPh. xiv. 115;—NH Qal Pt. נוֹחֵשׁ, and Pi.; Aramaic Pa. נַחֵשׁ, ܢܰܚܶܫ all = divine, learn by omens; perhaps cp. also Arabic نَحِسَ be unlucky Lane275 cf. Mel.c.);—Pf. 3 ms. וְנִחֵשׁ 2 K 21:6 2 Ch 33:6; 1 s. נִחַ֫שְׁתִּי Gn 30:27; Impf. יְנַחֵשׁ Gn 44:5, 15; 3 mpl. יְנַחֲשׁוּ 1 K 20:33, וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ 2 K 17:17; 2 mpl. תְּנַתֲשׁוּ Lv 19:26; Inf. abs. נַחֵשׁ 1 K 20:33; Pt. מְנַחֵשׁ Dt 18:10 (cf. especially RSJPh. xiv. 113 ff.);— practise divination Gn 44:5 (J; by means of cup, i.e. by hydromancy), with implied power to learn secret things v 15; condemned by proph. writer 2 K 21:6 = 2 Ch 33:6 (+ עוֹנֵן וְעָשָׂה אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִים), 2 K 17:17 (‖ וַיִּקְסְמוּ קְסָמִים), forbidden in D and H: Dt 18:10 (+ קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְכַשֵּׁף), Lv 19:26 (H; ‖ תְּעוֹנֵנ֑וּ). observe the signs or omens Gn 30:27 (J); so prob. יְנַחֲשׁוּ 1 K 20:33 now the men were observing the signs.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 9 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «נָחַשׁ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1504/5172/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Leviticus 19:26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/LEV.19.26/)

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לֹ֥א תֹאכְל֖וּ עַל־הַדָּ֑ם לֹ֥א תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תְעוֹנֵֽנוּ׃

*Word for word:* not you.will.eat with the blood not you.will.practice.divination and not you.will.practice.soothsaying

*JPS 1917:* Ye shall not eat with the blood; neither shall ye practise divination nor soothsaying.

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[Genesis 44:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.44.5/)

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הֲל֣וֹא זֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁתֶּ֤ה אֲדֹנִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וְה֕וּא נַחֵ֥שׁ יְנַחֵ֖שׁ בּ֑וֹ הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃

*Word for word:* ? not \[is\].this \[that\].which he.drinks master my in it and he indeed.(divine) he.practices.divination by it you.have.done.evil \[that\].which you.have.done

*JPS 1917:* Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'

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