כֶּשֶׁף
kesheph · keh'-shef
magic
Lexicon
Derivation: from H3784 (כָּשַׁף);
magic
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: sorcery, witchcraft.
Letters
- כKaf20
Picture: open palm
- Concrete
- palm · open hand · sole of the foot
- Extended
- to open · to allow · to cover · to tame · like / as
- שShin300
Picture: two front teeth (or a composite bow)
- Concrete
- teeth · sharp · press · bow
- Extended
- to consume · to destroy · to press or grind · to change · again
- פPe80
Picture: an open mouth
- Concrete
- mouth · lips · teeth
- Extended
- to speak · a word · an edge or opening · to scatter speech
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
the open hand that covers › to consume, to destroy › to speak, the word
The open hand that covers that works to consume, to destroy that works to speak, the word.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of כֶּשֶׁף above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
6 occurrences · 6 OT · 0 NT · 5 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- of thy sorceries2 · 33%
- and her witchcrafts1 · 17%
- witchcrafts1 · 17%
- of witchcrafts1 · 17%
- through her witchcrafts1 · 17%
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.