Toate ocultismele, superstitiile, divinatia, vrajitoria, spiritualismul, etc, erau monstruozitati (9,12) catre Domnul si atrageau judecata lui. Practica consultarii puterilor nevazute de catre aceste mecanisme erau egale cu cunoasterea unui alte puteri decat Dumnezeu si acesta este rebeliune.

10. prima practica interzisa a fost aceea care ii facea pe copii sa mearga prin foc. Natura exacta a acestei practice nu este cunoscuta. Trebuie sa fi fost pur si simplu un tip de incercare a calvarului sau un test magic. In timp ce aceasta era fara valoare pentru divinatie, magica sa valoare explica prezenta in lista. In cateva alte pasale ale Vechiului testament, de asemenea, practica este conectata cu zeul Molech. Cat de veche era aceasta practica nu se stia, dar aceasta era obisnuita in zilele monarhiei deci trebuie sa fi fost mult mai veche printre vecinii Istraelului, deci, la aceasta trebuie sa se fi referit Moses.

In continuare in aceasta lista sunt 3 termeni care decriu practicile diverse ale artei divinatiei. Prima este cineva care practica divinatia. Expresia cuprinde un participiul si un substantive, ambele derivand din radacina q sm. O varietate de mecanisme/ procedee erau in folosinta in diverse regiuni dar toate erau proiectate a discerne vointa zeilor.acelasi cuvant in Ezekiel 21:21 se refera la practica invartirii/rotirii sagetilor in tolba sagetilor si hotarau raspunsul la intrebare dupa prima sageata aruncata. Al doilea termen, tradus prezicator, este derivate din radacina n n, in acest caz pare a se referi la divinatie prin citirea norilor, sau dintr-o radacina care face ca in Arabia sa insemne a face zgomote ciudate , freamat fredonare, in oricare caz s-ar putea referi la orice tip de incantatie. Al treilea termen tradus ca prezicere. Profet deriva de la radacina n-h-s. in geneza 44:5,15 termenul se refera la divinatia lui Iosef prin intermediul unei cani, si poate puncta catre un tip de hidromansie prin care reflectiile in apa intr-o cana sunt observate. Aceeasi radacina la sirieni se intampla a fi un verb care inseamna prezicere prin observarea pasarilor, focului, ploii, etc, prin observarea fenomenelor natural.

Doi termini care urmeaza par a denota diferite forme ale magiei. Primul, tradus vrajitor derivate de la radacina k-s-p a distruge, pare a denota pe cineva care distruge ierburile si le fierb pentru scopuri magice. Termenul este utilizat in Micah 5:12 pentru ceva materiale ca drogurile sau ierburile folosite in mod superstitios pentru a produce efecte magice. Substantivul, asadar, inseamna vrajitor sau vraci. Celalalt termen inseamna in mod literar cineva careleaga noduri, cineva care il leaga pe altcineva prin noduri si vraji magice, deci, un vrajitor.

Celelalti 3 termeni se leaga de diversele forme de consultare ale lumii spirirelor. Primele 2 se refera la aceia care consulta sau conviaca spiritele, in timp ce ultimul poate fi un termen sumar. Cei 3 termeni se intampla a fi impreuna foarte adesea dar raman oarecum obscure. Primul este evreiescu ob tradus medium. OB-ul vorbeste cu o persoana pe o voce mustratoare. Aceia care practica acasta arta numita replica spiritual de reanimare a unui mor, sau oarecum, pretind a face asta. Versiunile grecesti au tradus termenul ca engastrimuthoi, ventrilogi, in timp ce sirienii au zakkuro fantoma. Celalalt termen, magician, este in relatie cu verbul yada a sti. Probabil acesta a fost acel tip de spiril familiar. Diferenta intre cele doua trebuie sa fi fost aceea ca acelea care prezic mai intai, cheama orice spirit, in timp ce aceia care prezic pentru al doilea, consulta doar un spirit familiar.

Al 3 termen denota cineva care intreaba moartea. In Isaiah 8:19 temenul pare a fi sinonim cu primele 2 termene din prezentul pasaj, deci, acesta trebuie sa fie o fraza sumara caracteristica Deuteronomului. De altfel (altminteri) pare a denota un vrajitor.necromatia.9. All occult, superstitions, divination, sorcery, spiritualism, etc., were abominations (9, 12) to Yahweh and invited his judgment (cf. 7:1ff.). The practice of consulting unseen powers by these devices was tantamount to acknowledging a power other than Yahweh, and this was rebellion.

10, 11. The first prohibited practice was that of making children walk through the fire. The exact nature of this practice is not known. It may have been merely a kind of trial by ordeal, or a magical test. While this was of no value for divination, its magical value might explain its presence in the list (cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:25). In some other passages in the Old Testament also the practice is connected with [Page 232] the god Molech94 (2 Kgs 23:10; Jer. 32:35 and perhaps 7:31). How old the practice was is not known, but even though it was common in the days of the monarchy it may have been much older among Israels neighbours, so that Moses could have referred to it.

Next in this list are three terms which describe various practitioners of the art of divination. The first is one who practises divination. The expression includes a participle and a noun both derived from the root q-s-m. A variety of devices was in use in various lands but all were designed to discern the will of the gods. The same word in Ezekiel 21:21 refers to the practice of whirling arrows in a quiver and deciding the answer to the question by the first arrow thrown out. The second term (mnn), translated soothsayer in rsv, is derived either from the root -n-n, in which case it seems to refer to divination by reading clouds, or from a root which occurs in Arabic meaning to make unusual noises, croon, hum, in which case it may refer to some kind of incantation. The third term, rsv an augur, derives from the root n--. In Genesis 44:5, 15 the term refers to Josephs divination by means of a cup, and may point to a kind of hydromancy in which reflections on the water in a cup are observed. The same root in Syriac occurs in a verb meaning divine by watching birds, fire, rain, etc., i.e. by observing natural phenomena.

Two terms follow which seem to denote different forms of magic. The first, rsv sorcerer (mkap), derived from the root k--p to cut up, may denote one who cuts up herbs and brews them for magical purposes (cf. lxx pharmaka, drug). The term is used in Micah 5:12 for some such material as drugs or herbs used superstitiously to produce magical effects. The noun, therefore, means enchanter or sorcerer (cf. Exod. 7:11; 22:18; 2 Chr. 33:6; Dan. 2:2; Mal. 3:5). The second term means literally one who ties knots (root -b-r), i.e. one who binds another by magic knots or magic spells, hence a charmer.

The last three terms relate to various forms of consulting the spirit world. The first two refer to those who consult or inquire of the spirits, while the third may be a summarizing term. The three terms [Page 233] occur together quite often but remain somewhat obscure.95 The first is the Hebrew b, translated medium in rsv. The b spoke from within a person (Lev. 20:27) with a twittering voice (Isa. 29:4).96 Those who practised this art called up the departed from the realm of the dead, or rather, professed to do so. Greek versions translate the term by engastrimuthoi, i.e. ventriloquists, while Syriac has zakkuro, ghost. The second term (yidden), wizard, is related to the verb yda, know. Possibly this was some kind of familiar spirit. The difference between the two may have been that those who divine by the former, call up any spirit (1 Sam. 28:11), while those who divine by the latter consult only a familiar spirit.

The third term denotes one who enquires of the dead. In Isaiah 8:19 the term seems to be synonymous with the first two terms in the present passage, so that it may be a typical summing up phrase so characteristic of Deuteronomy. Otherwise it seems to denote a necromancer.

94 See W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan (1968), pp. 205f., 210.

rsv American Revised Standard Version, 1952.

lxx The Septuagint (pre-Christian Greek version of the Old Testament).

95 Lev. 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam. 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs. 21:6; 23:24; 2 Chr. 33:6; Isa. 8:19; 19:3.

96 Originally the b was a ritual pit for communicating with the netherworld. See H. A. Hoffner, Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew B, JBL, LXXXVI, 1967, pp. 385401.

J. A. Thompson, Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, vol. 5, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1974, pp. 231-233.