---
title: קֶסֶם — divination · The Tanakh dictionary
description: קֶסֶם (7081), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 11 times: divination. BDB 1906: divination. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7081.html)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ק](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1511-2.md)‎ / קֶסֶם‎

<!-- .hw dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
# קֶסֶם

<!-- .meta -->
«קֶסֶם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **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.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Used:** 11 times · **Key:** 7081 · **BDB:** קֶ֫סֶם

### Glosses

divination (7); divinations (3); of.divination (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

divination [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7081/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

divination [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7081/#m2)

<!-- fold -->
**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] divination;—abs. ק׳ Nu 23:23 +, קָ֑סֶם Ez 21:26; cstr. קֶסֶם 13:6; pl. קְסָמִים Dt 18:10 +;— of the nations: Balaam, Nu 23:23 (poem in JE; ‖ נַחַשׁ; c. ב against; as acc. cogn. לִקְסָם־ק׳ Ez 21:26; ק׳ as instr. of divination בִּימִינוֹ v 27; so of elders of Moab and Midian, קְסָמִים בְּיָדָם, Nu 22:7 (E).—Is 2:6 v. \[קָסַם\]. of false proph. ק׳ כָּזָב Ez 13:6 (but v. \[קָסַם\]); ק׳ as acc. cogn. Ez 13:23 (כָּזָב as v 9 21:34; 22:28); ק׳ אֱלִיל (so Gf for MT וֶאֱלִו֯ל) Je 14:14 (all ‖ חזה שׁוא or שׁקר); קֹסֵם קְסָמִים prohibited Dt 18:10; 2 K 17:17; reprobated 1 S 15:23 (poem; ‖ תרפים). in good sense ק׳ עַל שִׂפְתֵי מֶלֶךְ Pr 16:10 (king’s lips as oracle).

<!-- .note -->
Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 11 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «קֶסֶם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7081/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Proverbs 16:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.16.10/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
קֶ֤סֶם ׀ עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לֹ֣א יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו׃

*Word for word:* divination \[is\].on \[the\].lips of.a.king in judgment not it.will.act.unfaithfully mouth his

*JPS 1917:* A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth trespasseth not in judgment.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[1 Samuel 15:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.15.23/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
כִּ֤י חַטַּאת־קֶ֙סֶם֙ מֶ֔רִי וְאָ֥וֶן וּתְרָפִ֖ים הַפְצַ֑ר יַ֗עַן מָאַ֙סְתָּ֙ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ס

*Word for word:* (dm) \[is.the\].sin of.divination rebellion and.\[is\] wickedness and teraphim presumption because you.have.rejected (et) the.word of.Yahweh and he has.rejected.you from king

*JPS 1917:* For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.'

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [קָסַם](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7080.md)
- next →: [קָסַס](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7082.md)
- ↑ back to [ק](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1511-2.md)