Leviticus 19:31
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about avoiding fortune-tellers; it’s a warning against seeking knowledge outside of God's will. The "mediums" and "wizards" are described as those who "know," hinting at a dangerous pride in seeking secrets God hasn't revealed, which ultimately defiles His people.
This verse appears within a chapter full of practical instructions for daily living, building on the foundational laws given earlier. It follows commands about loving your neighbor, honoring elders, and being fair in business dealings, all aimed at creating a holy community. Immediately after this warning against seeking supernatural guidance from forbidden sources, the text reiterates the importance of resting on the Sabbath, further emphasizing trust in God’s established order and provision.
Ever wondered about the future, or wished you knew what was 'really' going on behind the scenes? This verse warns against a dangerous path.
God's Word here speaks to a deep human desire to know what's hidden – future events, lost items, or secret information. The terms 'mediums' and 'necromancers' (or 'familiar spirits' and 'wizards' in some translations) point to individuals who claimed to access this hidden knowledge through supernatural means, often by communicating with spirits or the dead.
But God declares that seeking this kind of insight is not just a neutral act; it's a way to become 'defiled.' Why? Because it bypasses Him. It's an attempt to gain knowledge and power outside of God's provision and in His own way. It implies that God's wisdom and His timing aren't sufficient, leading us away from trust and into deception. True wisdom and guidance come from God alone.
Every command in Scripture has a reason, and this one is sealed with a powerful reminder of who God is.
The verse concludes with a profound declaration: 'I am the LORD your God.' This isn't just a closing remark; it's the very foundation of the prohibition.
God is presenting Himself as the ultimate source of truth, authority, and life. He alone is sovereign, and He alone is worthy of our ultimate trust and devotion. To turn to mediums and wizards is to elevate created beings or deceptive spiritual forces above the Creator. It's an act of disloyalty and a rejection of His rightful place in our lives.
By reminding them 'I am the LORD your God,' He's calling them back to covenant faithfulness. He's the one who has chosen them, delivered them, and sustains them. Their allegiance belongs solely to Him, not to deceptive spiritual powers.
Understand the original words
'ob · Hebrew Noun
A person claiming to have contact with the spirits of the dead or supernatural knowledge, often involving divination. Such practices were strictly forbidden in Israel as they usurped the authority of God and His revealed word.
yidde'oni · Hebrew Noun
One who attempts to communicate with the dead to gain information or guidance, a practice condemned as an abomination because it bypasses God and involves occult interaction.
tame' · Hebrew Verb
A state of ritual or moral impurity that separates a person from the holy presence of God and the covenant community, often resulting from disobedience to God's law.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
This passage describes King Saul's desperate turn to the witch of Endor, a medium, after God refused to answer him, showing the gravity of seeking forbidden spiritual counsel when in distress.
Deuteronomy 18:10This prohibition is echoed in Deuteronomy, which explicitly lists mediums and those who practice divination as detestable to the LORD, reinforcing the divine disapproval of these practices.
Isaiah 8:19The prophet Isaiah condemns those who consult mediums and seek out wizards, urging them instead to seek God's word, highlighting the contrast between true spiritual guidance and deceptive practices.
Acts 16:16This New Testament account shows a slave girl with a 'spirit of divination' who repeatedly acknowledged Paul and Silas. Her fortune-telling was a real spiritual phenomenon, but one rooted in darkness, not light.
clarkeLeviticus 19:31: "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."
Regard not them that have familiar spirits - The Hebrew word אבות oboth probably signifies a kind of engastromuthoi or ventriloquists, or such as the Pythoness mentioned Acts 16:16 , Acts 16:18 ; persons who, while under the influence of their demon, became greatly inflated, as the Hebrew word implies, and gave answers in a sort of frenzy. See a case of this…
pulpitLeviticus 19:31: "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."
Verse 31. - This verse contains a prohibition of all dealings with those that have familiar spirits or are wizards. The punishment of such persons is appointed in the next chapter. Both in the Old and the New Testament, the real existence of evil spirits and their power of communicating with the human spirit is assumed.
This verse isn't just about avoiding fortune-tellers; it’s a warning against seeking knowledge outside of God's will. The "mediums" and "wizards" are described as those who "know," hinting at a dangerous pride in seeking secrets God hasn't revealed, which ultimately defiles His people.
This verse appears within a chapter full of practical instructions for daily living, building on the foundational laws given earlier. It follows commands about loving your neighbor, honoring elders, and being fair in business dealings, all aimed at creating a holy community. Immediately after this warning against seeking supernatural guidance from forbidden sources, the text reiterates the importance of resting on the Sabbath, further emphasizing trust in God’s established order and provision.
This verse appears within a chapter full of practical instructions for daily living, building on the foundational laws given earlier. It follows commands about loving your neighbor, honoring elders, and being fair in business dealings, all aimed at creating a holy community. Immediately after this warning against seeking supernatural guidance from forbidden sources, the text reiterates the importance of resting on the Sabbath, further emphasizing trust in God’s established order and provision.
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The self-existent, eternal, and covenant-keeping God of Israel, who reveals Himself to His people to guide their moral conduct and demand their exclusive allegiance.
"“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God." — This verse isn't just about avoiding fortune-tellers; it’s a warning against seeking knowledge outside of God's will. The "mediums" and "wizards" are described as those who "know," hinting at a dange…
