What does כָּשַׁף (kāšap) mean in the Bible?
כָּשַׁף (kāšap): Magic through whispered incantation; forbidden occult practice opposed to Yahweh's exclusive authority over reality.
Hebrew · H3784
כָּשַׁף
Properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic
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כָּשַׁף H3784
Pronunciation kāšap
What does כָּשַׁף (kāšap) mean in the Bible?
כָּשַׁף (kāšap): Magic through whispered incantation; forbidden occult practice opposed to Yahweh's exclusive authority over reality.
Full entry for כָּשַׁף (H3784) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3784?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include against sorcerers (1), allow a sorceress (1), and sorcerers (1), and witchcraft (1), practices sorcery (1).
Where does כָּשַׁף (kāšap) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 7:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (2), 2 Chronicles (1), Daniel (1), Deuteronomy (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It against sorcerers 1× Malachi 3:5
allow a sorceress 1× Exodus 22:18
and sorcerers 1× Exodus 7:11
and witchcraft 1× 2 Chronicles 33:6
practices sorcery 1× Deuteronomy 18:10
sorcerers 1× Daniel 2:2
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 7:11 וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים to and sorcerers Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural Exodus 22:18 מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה to allow a sorceress Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular Deuteronomy 18:10 וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃ to practices sorcery Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 33:6 וְֽכִשֵּׁ֔ף to and witchcraft Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Daniel 2:2 וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ to sorcerers Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural Malachi 3:5 בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ to against sorcerers Preposition-b, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 7:11
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 5
Exodus 2 Deuteronomy 1 2 Chronicles 1 Daniel 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ 1x bam·ḵaš·šə·p̄îm Malachi 3:5
וְֽכִשֵּׁ֔ף 1x wə·ḵiš·šêp̄ 2 Chronicles 33:6
וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים 1x wə·lam·ḵaš·šə·p̄îm Exodus 7:11
וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ 1x wə·lam·ḵaš·šə·p̄îm Daniel 2:2
וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃ 1x ū·mə·ḵaš·šêp̄ Deuteronomy 18:10
מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה 1x mə·ḵaš·šê·p̄āh Exodus 22:18
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 2x Exodus 7:11, Daniel 2:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x 2 Chronicles 33:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 18:10
Preposition-b, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 1x Malachi 3:5
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular 1x Exodus 22:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Magic through whispered incantation; forbidden occult practice opposed to Yahweh's exclusive authority over reality.
Source Gloss
properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Magic through whispered incantation; forbidden occult practice opposed to Yahweh's exclusive authority over reality.
properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic BDB: practice sorcery Usage: sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 1
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Participle active Exod 22:17 1×
Word Origins
כָּשַׁף is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain