Divination

Biblical References

Leviticus 19:26 commands, "neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times." Leviticus 19:31 forbids seeking out those who have familiar spirits, that is, people who claim to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 lists various practitioners, including one who "useth divination," "a witch," and "a necromancer" (one who calls up the spirits of the dead), and forbids such people to be found in Israel. Deuteronomy 18:15 then promises that God will raise up a prophet.

Several people associated with divination appear in the Bible.

• Balaam: He appears in Numbers 22–24, and Joshua 13:22 calls him "the soothsayer."
• Saul: In 1 Samuel 28 he visits the woman with a familiar spirit at Endor.
• Manasseh: 2 Kings 21:6 records that he practiced divination.
• The king of Babylon: In Ezekiel 21:21 he stands at the parting of the way, shakes arrows, consults teraphim, and looks in the liver.

In the New Testament, Acts 16:16-18 records a slave girl in Philippi possessed by a spirit of divination. When Paul casts out the spirit, her masters, who had profited from her fortune-telling, bring charges against him.

Background

Many forms of divination were widespread in the ancient Near East, including hepatoscopy (examining the livers of animals), astrology (reading the stars), divination by arrows or cups, and necromancy (consulting the dead). The principal Hebrew terms for divination in the Old Testament belong to the qesem and nachash word families. The slave girl in Acts 16:16 is described in Greek as having "a spirit of Python"; Python is a name associated with the Greek oracle.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The Old Testament regards divination as a custom of the pagan nations and a practice bound up with idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23-24 compares rebellion to "the sin of witchcraft" (literally, divination). The alternative Scripture presents is God's own way of making His will known directly through the prophets and His word.

The New Testament maintains this position. Galatians 5:16-21 lists "witchcraft" among the works of the flesh. In Ephesus, those who had practiced magic burned their books (Acts 19:19). The account of Simon the Sorcerer likewise contrasts the gospel with sorcery.

Interpretation and Issues

• Distinction from permitted means: Interpreters frequently discuss how the high priest's Urim and Thummim or the casting of lots (Proverbs 16:33; the selection of Matthias in Acts 1:26) differ from forbidden divination. The usual criterion is whether the means was appointed by God or involves inquiring of other gods or spirits.
• Joseph's silver cup: Genesis 44:5 describes Joseph's silver cup as the one "whereby indeed he divineth." Some interpreters hold that Joseph actually practiced divination; others take the words as part of his role as an Egyptian official, adopted in order to test his brothers. The text does not directly state that Joseph practiced divination.
• The woman of Endor: Interpreters disagree over whether the figure who appeared before Saul was actually Samuel. Some hold that Samuel appeared by God's permission, others that an evil spirit impersonated Samuel, and still others that the woman staged a deception.

In the Korean Church

Korean Bibles in the Gaeyeok (Korean Revised Version) tradition rendered these terms with vocabulary drawn from Korean shamanism, such as mudang (female shaman), baksu (male shaman), and sinjeophan ja (one who has a familiar spirit). As a result, Korean believers read these passages as speaking directly to shamanism. On the basis of these passages, the Korean church has taught believers to avoid fortune-tellers, saju (fortune-telling based on the year, month, day, and hour of one's birth), gunghap (marital compatibility readings), tarot, and similar practices. The topic is especially common in sermons around the New Year.