Hebrew verb · H5172
נָחַשׁ
nachashnaw-khash'
to divine
11 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: nâchash
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H5172is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 6 of 39Old Testament books
- 11spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · H5172
properly, to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate
The King James renders it: [idiom] certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) [idiom] enchantment, learn by experience, [idiom] indeed, diligently observe.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
nachash is rendered "to divine". It stands 11 times in the Hebrew text, across six books.
- Five of the uses stand in Genesis, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 30:27But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”
- The Greek text spells it eleven different ways.
The first use
But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”
Genesis 30:27נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי
The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Five of the word's eleven uses are in Genesis.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- and he practiced divination2
- he practices divination2
- indeed divine2
- and an augurer1
- and they practiced divination1
- I have learned by divination1
- they observed signs1
- you will practice divination1
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
All 11, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
11 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ1
- וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ1
- וְנִחֵ֔שׁ1
- וְנִחֵשׁ֙1
- יְנַחֵ֖שׁ1
- יְנַחֵ֛שׁ1
- יְנַחֲשׁ֨וּ1
- נַחֵ֥שׁ1
- נַחֵ֧שׁ1
- נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי1
- תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּ1
The grammar of each form
- Hc/Vpq3ms2Hc/Vpq3ms
- verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)2HVpcc
- verb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singular2HVpi3ms
- conjunction (“and”) + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine singular1HC/Vprmsa
- Hc/Vpw3mp1Hc/Vpw3mp
- verb · passive or reflexive (niphal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singular1HVNp1cs
- verb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine plural1HVpi2mp
- verb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine plural1HVpi3mp
Genesis
five uses
But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”
- נִחַ֕שְׁתִּיnichashtiverb · passive or reflexive (niphal), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I have learned by divination
Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
- נַחֵ֥שׁnacheshverb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: indeed divine
- יְנַחֵ֖שׁyenacheshverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he practices divination
“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”
- נַחֵ֧שׁnacheshverb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: indeed divine
- יְנַחֵ֛שׁyenacheshverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he practices divination
Leviticus
one use
You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.
- תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּtenachashuverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: you will practice divination
Deuteronomy
one use
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁumenacheshconjunction (“and”) + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine singulartagged: and an augurer
1 Kings
one use
Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
- יְנַחֲשׁ֨וּyenachashuverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they observed signs
2 Kings
two uses
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
- וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּvaynacheshuHc/Vpw3mptagged: and they practiced divination
He 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.
- וְנִחֵ֔שׁvenicheshHc/Vpq3mstagged: and he practiced divination
2 Chronicles
one use
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
- וְנִחֵשׁ֙venicheshHc/Vpq3mstagged: and he practiced divination
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.