Word Study · Strong's H178 · Hebrew
אוֹב
ob
obe
Strong's 1890 spelling: ʼôwb
“properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound)”
Strong's Dictionary · 1890 · public domain
properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar)
Rendered in the KJV as
bottle, familiar spirit.
- 17occurrencesin the Old Testament
- 8 of 39Old Testament bookswhere the word stands
- 14inflected formsdistinct spellings
Across 17 occurrences
The word itself
Inflected forms · 14
- א֖וֹב3
- הָאֹב֥וֹת2
- א֛וֹב1
- אוֹב֙1
- א֔וֹב1
- בָּא֔וֹב1
- בָּא֖וֹב1
- הָאֹב֣וֹת1
- הָאֹבוֹת֙1
- הָאֹב֖וֹת1
- הָאֹבֹת֙1
- הָֽאֹבֹת֙1
and 2 more spellings in the ledger below.
How it is rendered · 7
- the necromancers7
- a necromancer2
- by the necromancy2
- necromancer2
- necromancy2
- like a necromancer1
- like wineskins1
The sense the word carries at each spot — how the translators read it there, not a fixed translation.
How it parses · 5
- the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine plural7
- noun · masculine singular6
- preposition with the article + noun · masculine singular2
- preposition + noun · feminine plural1
- preposition + noun · masculine singular1
Show the grammar codes as tagged
- HTd/Ncfpa · 7
- HNcmsa · 6
- HRd/Ncmsa · 2
- HR/Ncfpa · 1
- HR/Ncmsa · 1
All 17, in canonical order
The ledger of occurrences
Where this word lives
- 1 Samuel5 of 17 · 29%
- Leviticus3 of 17 · 18%
- Isaiah3 of 17 · 18%
- 2 Kings2 of 17 · 12%
- Deuteronomy1 of 17 · 6%
1 Samuel carries the most and opens below; every other book is one click.
Leviticus3 occurrences
- Leviticus 19:31הָאֹבֹת֙haovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralYou must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.here: the necromancers
- Leviticus 20:6הָֽאֹבֹת֙haovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralWhoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.here: the necromancers
- Leviticus 20:27א֛וֹבʾovnoun · masculine singularA man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”here: a necromancer
Deuteronomy1 occurrence
1 Samuel5 occurrences
- 1 Samuel 28:3הָאֹב֥וֹתhaovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralNow by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.here: the necromancers
- 1 Samuel 28:7א֔וֹבʾovnoun · masculine singularThen Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.here: necromancy
- 1 Samuel 28:7א֖וֹבʾovnoun · masculine singularThen Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.here: necromancy
- 1 Samuel 28:8בָּא֔וֹבbaovpreposition with the article + noun · masculine singularSo Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”here: by the necromancy
- 1 Samuel 28:9הָאֹב֥וֹתhaovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralBut the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”here: the necromancers
2 Kings2 occurrences
- 2 Kings 21:6א֖וֹבʾovnoun · masculine singularHe sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.here: necromancer
- 2 Kings 23:24הָאֹב֣וֹתhaovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralFurthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.here: the necromancers
Isaiah3 occurrences
- Isaiah 8:19הָאֹבוֹת֙haotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralWhen men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?here: the necromancers
- Isaiah 19:3הָאֹב֖וֹתhaovotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluralThen the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists.here: the necromancers
- Isaiah 29:4כְּא֤וֹבkeovpreposition + noun · masculine singularYou will be brought low, you will speak from the ground, and out of the dust your words will be muffled. Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground; your speech will whisper out of the dust.here: like a necromancer