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Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Leviticus 19:31

familiar spirits. These are evil spirits personating dead human beings, and attaching themselves only to "mediums" and those who give up their will to them.. dread reality is provided against by these enactments. Compare Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10; 1 Chronicles 10:13.Isaiah 8:19. The Hebrew 'ob, borrowed from an Akkadian word, ubi. a charm, used of one who was mistress of the spell, or spirit. Isaiah 29:4. See Acts 16:16, where it is defined as "a spirit of Python " (= Pythius Apollo), i.e. the devil.

Wizards. knowing ones: those having occult knowledge,

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See also Leviticus 19:31 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 31. _REGARD NOT THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS_] The Hebrew word _oboth_ probably signifies a kind of _engastromuthoi_ or _ventriloquists_, or such as the Pythoness mentioned Leviticus 16:16;...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The devotion of faith, which would manifest itself in obedience to the commandment to keep God’s Sabbaths and to reverence His sanctuary Leviticus 19:30, is the true preservative against the superstit...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. DIFFERENT DUTIES CHAPTER 19 _ 1. Honoring parents and fearing God (Leviticus 19:1)_ 2. The care of the poor (Leviticus 19:9) 3. Against stealing and lying (Leviticus 19:11) 4

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    MISCELLANEOUS PRECEPTS, all found elsewhere, except the last. Most of the forbidden actions have some magical significance, _e.g._ cutting the hair in a special fashion, or maiming oneself (originally...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _familiar spirits … wizards_ Cp. ch. Leviticus 20:6; Leviticus 20:27. For the difference between the two see Driver on Deuteronomy 18:11. The former expression (_"ôb_) may be rendered _ghost_. Its ora...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Miscellaneous precepts in reference to the various circumstances of every-day life....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    REGARD NOT THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS— The word האבת _haobot,_ rendered _familiar spirits,_ signifies _conjurers, pythos;_ persons, says Parkhurst, who pretended to give prophetic answers, when i...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CONCLUDING INJUCTIONS 19:30-37 TEXT 19:30-37 30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am Jehovah. 31 Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _REGARD NOT THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS, NEITHER SEEK AFTER WIZARDS, TO BE DEFILED BY THEM: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD._ Regard not them that have familiar spirits, х_ HAA'OBOT_ (H178); Septuagint, e...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    VARIOUS LAWS, MAINLY OF A MORAL AND HUMANE CHARACTER This chapter was very naturally regarded by Jewish authorities as an embodiment of the Decalogue. It will be observed that in general the precepts...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS] necromancers who profess to hold communication with the dead: cp. Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:11; 1 Samuel 28:7. 33, 34 See on...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LEVITICUS *WORSHIP THE *LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF *HOLINESS LEVITICUS _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ This commentary HAS BEEN through Advanced Checking. Words in boxes are from the Bible, except for the words i...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    REGARD NOT. — Better, _Turn ye not unto,_ as the Authorised Version renders this very phrase in Leviticus 19:4. THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS. — This phrase represents the single word _oboth_ in the...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אַל ־תִּפְנ֤וּ אֶל ־הָ אֹבֹת֙ וְ אֶל

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE LAW OF HOLINESS (CONCLUDED) Leviticus 19:1 WE have in this chapter a series of precepts and prohibitions which from internal evidence appear to have been selected by an inspired redactor of the c...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The more positive habits of separation are insisted on by the repetition of laws already given, with one reiterated emphasis, namely, the fact that the God of this people is Jehovah. There was, first,...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Wizards. Hebrew oboth, denotes familiar spirits, (1 Kings viii.[xxviii.?] 7,) which gave answers from the belly or breast, as from a bottle; whence such wizards are called by the Greeks, engastrimutho...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    These precepts are to the same effect as the former, in point of plainness and tendency. And they are enforced by the same authority. It is very interesting to the true believer in CHRIST, while readi...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have seen the various forms of the work of Christ, of His offering of Himself to God, whether in all the perfectness of His life, or in His death as the means of our acceptance. We have seen furthe...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 19 AND 20. Chapter s 19, 20, carry us somewhat farther. They were to be holy, for Jehovah was holy. Chapter 19 takes up rather the side of good, though keepin...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    REGARD NOT THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS,.... The word used signifies "bottles", and that sort of diviners here intended go by this name, either because what they sat on when they divined was in the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God. Ver. 31. _I am the Lord your God._] What need you then run to the devil for di...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Wizards_ Them that have entered into covenant with the devil, by whose help they foretel many things to come, and acquaint men with secret things; see Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:11; 1Sa 28:3; 1...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 A repetition of sundry Lawes. 1 AND the LORD spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Speake vnto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, and say vnto them, [NOTE: Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 20:7; 1 Pet...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MANY LAWS GROUPED TOGETHER (VV. 1-37) We have seen at the beginning and end of chapter 18 God's announcement, “I am the Lord your God.” In chapter 19 the expression “I am the Lord” occurs 15 times. Bu...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEM THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS; that have entered into covenant with the devil, by whose help they foretell many things to come, and acquaint men with secret things. See Leviticus 20:27 Deuteronomy 1...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Leviticus 19:31 regard H6437 (H8799) mediums H178 spirits H3049 seek H1245 (H8762) defiled H2930 (H8800) LORD...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE IMPORTANCE OF A RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS YAHWEH (LEVITICUS 19:30). Leviticus 19:30 “You shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am Yahweh.” Indeed rather than sinking to the depths...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Further laws concerning proper relationships. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: God's people being distinguished from all other people by a peculiar relationship with Him through Christ,...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The leading precepts of the law are here repeated to give them new force, and with many additions and illustrations, that they might be better understood. Most of these having already been explained,...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Them that have familiar spirits._ PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC WITH FAMILIAR SPIRITS This verse prohibits all inquiring of them that “have familiar spirits,” and of “wizards,” who pretend to make relevati...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    LEVITICUS—NOTE ON LEVITICUS 19:1__ The Lord strongly commands the people (including the priests) to become holy in their practice, as he is holy (v. Leviticus 19:2). They do this by observi

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    LEVITICUS—NOTE ON LEVITICUS 19:26 These are all practices of the Canaanites. Holiness requires Israel not to act like the ungodly in any area of life. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    Practical Piety: Religion in all Relationships SUGGESTIVE READINGS Leviticus 19:2.—Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say: Nowhere else in the whole of Leviticus does this...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION From the prohibition of moral uncleanness exhibiting itself in the form of incest and licentiousness, the legislator proceeds to a series of laws and commandments against other kinds of imm...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now God continues in this same vein, as He moves into chapter nineteen. Speak unto all of the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am ho...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:3; 1 Samuel 28:7; 2 Chronicles 33:6;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Wizards — Them that have entered into covenant with the devil, by whose help they foretel many things to come, and acquaint men with secret things. See Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:11; 1 Samuel 28:...

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