nachash · divine

What it means

nachash (נָחַשׁ) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “divine”.

Practice divination: look for omens to learn hidden things.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To seek omens to know hidden things.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• indeed practices divination ×4
• read omens ×3
• I have learned by divination ×1
• one who interprets omens ×1
• practice divination ×1
• took it as an omen ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×5
• Leviticus×1
• Deuteronomy×1
• 1 Kings×1
• 2 Kings×2
• 2 Chronicles×1

• Genesis 30:27

  Laban said to him, “If, please, I have found favor in your eyes— I have learned by divination that YHWH has blessed me because of you.”

• Genesis 44:5

  Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in what you have done.’”

• Genesis 44:15

  Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I indeed practices divination?”

• Leviticus 19:26

  You shall not eat anything with the blood. You shall not practice divination or soothsaying.

• Deuteronomy 18:10

  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes pass his son or his daughter through the fire, anyone who practices divination, a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

• 1 Kings 20:33

  The men took it as an omen, and quickly caught it up whether it came from him, and said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” He said, “Go, bring him.” Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him come up into the chariot.

• 2 Kings 17:17

  They made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divinations and read omens, and sold themselves to do what was evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke him to anger.

• 2 Kings 21:6

  He made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying and read omens, and appointed those who call up the dead and spiritists; he did much evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke him to anger.

• 2 Chronicles 33:6

  He made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, read omens, practiced sorcery, and appointed those who call up the dead and spiritists; he multiplied doing evil in the eyes of YHWH, provoking him to anger.

And 2 more times.