קֶ֫סֶם
divination
‘divination’ is one of 4 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”).
Form
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute 7 times (64%)
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute 2 times (18%)
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Construct 1 time (9%)
- Verb, Qal, Participle Active, Masculine, Singular, Absolute 1 time (9%)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 11 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Every verse where H7081 appears — 11 distinct verses across 7 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Numbers 2 verses
- Numbers 22:7 וּ/קְסָמִ֖ים conj + n c mp The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
- Numbers 23:23 קֶ֖סֶם n c ms Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done!
Deuteronomy 1 verse
1 Samuel 1 verse
2 Kings 1 verse
Proverbs 1 verse
Jeremiah 1 verse
Ezekiel 4 verses
- Ezekiel 13:6 וְ/קֶ֣סֶם conj + n c ms cs They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, Yahweh says; but Yahweh has not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.
- Ezekiel 13:23 וְ/קֶ֖סֶם conj + n c ms Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 21:21 קָ֑סֶם n c ms For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows back and forth, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
- Ezekiel 21:22 הַ/קֶּ֣סֶם ptcl def.art + n c ms In his right hand was the divination [for] Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, קסם (qeçem) means “divination.” Carrying more than one sense, it rewards its full sense range. It turns up in 11 verses across 7 books, an uncommon footprint. The word gravitates to Ezekiel (36%), then Numbers and Deuteronomy. Scripture first uses it in Numbers 22:7. Dig into 11-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H7081 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 11
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 11 distinct verses.
- 7 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 7 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #2,210
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 2,210 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 11 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Ezekiel 4 verses 36%
- Numbers 2 verses 18%
- Deuteronomy 1 verse 9%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 11 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 7 verses · 64%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 3 verses · 27%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 1 verse · 9%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Divination 5×
- American Standard Version: Divination 5×
- Berean Standard Bible: Divination 4×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Divination 5×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7081 across 11 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 6 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H7081 across 11 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 6 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H7081 across 11 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7081 across 12 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 3 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. of the nations: Balaam, Nu 23:23 (poem in JE; ‖ נַחַשׁ; c. ב against; as acc. cogn. לִקְסָם־ק׳ Ez 21:26; ק׳ as instr. of divination בִּימִינוֹ v 27; so of elders of Moab and Midian, קְסָמִים בְּיָדָם, Nu 22:7 (E).—Is 2:6 v. [קָסַם]. e.g. Numbers 23:23
- 2. of false proph. ק׳ כָּזָב Ez 13:6 (but v. [קָסַם]); ק׳ as acc. cogn. Ez 13:23 (כָּזָב as v 9 21:34; 22:28); ק׳ אֱלִיל (so Gf for MT וֶאֱלִו֯ל) Je 14:14 (all ‖ חזה שׁוא or שׁקר); קֹסֵם קְסָמִים prohibited Dt 18:10; 2 K 17:17; reprobated 1 S 15:23 (poem; ‖ תרפים). e.g. Ezekiel 13:6
- 3. in good sense ק׳ עַל שִׂפְתֵי מֶלֶךְ Pr 16:10 (king’s lips as oracle). e.g. Proverbs 16:10
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
n.[m.] divination;—abs. ק׳ Nu 23:23 +, קָ֑סֶם Ez 21:26; cstr. קֶסֶם 13:6; pl. קְסָמִים Dt 18:10 +;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from קסם (qâçam) (H7080) — to divine.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
קָסַם
- (b. h.)
- 1. to cut, carve. Snh. IX, 6 המקלל בקוֹסֵם (Y. ed. בקַסָּם) he that curses (his neighbor) invoking God as ‘a carver’ (instead of creator ex nihilo); expl. ib. 81ᵇ יכה קוֹסֵם את קוֹסָמוֹ (Ms. M. את קוסו, emended קוסמו, Ar. קִסְמוֹ, קִיסְמוֹ) may the carver strike his carving; anoth. explan. יכהו קוסם לו ולקונו ולמקנו may the carver strike him (euphem. for thee), himself (thyself) &c., v. קָנָה; Y. ib. IX, end, 27ᵇ, v. קַיְינָא.
- 2. to decide (cmp. גָּזַר). Ḥag. 14ᵃ (ref. to Is. III, 2) קוסם זה מלך ḳosem means king (with ref. to Prov. XVI, 10); Yalk. Is. 261. e.g. Isaiah 3:2
- 3. (v. קֶסֶם) to divine. Sifré Deut. 171 איזהו קוסם זה האוחז וכ׳ who is a ḳosem? He that seizes his staff (and measuring it fist-wise says), shall I or shall I not go? (ref. to Hos. IV, 12); Yalk. Deut. 918. Snh. 106ᵃ (ref. to Josh. XIII, 22) קזסם נביא הוא a charmer? is he not a prophet? בתחלה נביא ולבסוף קוסם at first a prophet, and in the end a charmer. Num. R. s. 20 (ref. to Num. XXII, 7) הוליכו … קסמים שהיו קוֹסְמִין בהן they carried with them all kinds of divining implements with which people divine. Koh. R. to XII, 7 לִקְסוֹם קסמים, v. קֶסֶם; a. e. e.g. Hosea 4:12
- to divine. Midr. Till. to Ps. LXXIX, beg. עמד לו מְקַסֵּם וכ׳ he stood up and divined to find out whether or not to go up.
- , v. קִרְסֵם
קְסַם I
- 1. to cut, chip. Y. Shebi. II, 34ᵃ וקַסְמָהּ בידיה וכ׳ he chipped it (their argument) with his hand, i.e. made a motion with his hand to indicate his dissent (and said) &c.
- 2. to divine. Targ. Ez. XXI, 26. Targ. Deut. XVIII, 10 קָסֵים ed. Berl. (oth. ed. קָסֵם, incorr. קוֹסֵם); a. e.—Gitt. 68ᵇ חזי … קָסֵים אחיך saw a diviner who was divining, and laughed (at him). Ib. לִקְסוֹם … תותיה let him divine what is under him.
קֶסֶם
- preced.)
- 1. chip, carving, v. קָסַם.—Pl. קְסָמִים, קְסָמִין, v. קִיסָּם.
- 2. decision, esp. decision by lot or sign, divination, augury; means or tools of divination. —Pl. as ab. Lam. R. introd. (R. Josh. 2) התחיל קוסם ק׳ he began to make divinations (by throwing arrows &c.); Koh. R. to XII, 7 לקסום ק׳. Num. R. s. 20, v. קָסַם. Ib. שידעו בק׳ שלהם וכ׳ they knew that there was no profit in their divining signs; a. fr. e.g. Joshua 2:24
קְסַם II
- 1. decision. Targ. Prov. XVI, 10.
- 2. divination, divining tools. Targ. Ez. XXI, 26 (ed. Wil. קֶסֶם); 27; a. e.—Pl. קִסְמִין, קִסְמַיָּא, קֻ׳, קוּ׳, קִי׳. Targ. Deut. XVIII, 10 (Y. II קַסְ׳). Targ. Y. Gen. XXX, 27. Targ. Y. I Deut. XVIII, 14 (Y. II, v. קַסָּמָא); a. fr.—Y. Maasr. III, end, 51ᵃ, v. קַנְטֵר.
קִסָּם
- chip, v. קִיסָּם, קֵיסֶם.
קְסַם III
- pr. n. pl., v. קִיסַם
קַסָּם
- (קָסַם) carver. Snh. IX, 6 Y. ed., v. קָסַם. Cant. R. to V, 14 כל מי שנעשה ק׳ וכ׳ he that makes himself a carver (skilful worker) in the words of the Law shall finally become a king (leader) through them (with ref. to Prov. XVI, 10). [Ib. שנעשה בהם ק׳ some ed., read: סַפִּיר; v. Matt. K. a. l.] e.g. Proverbs 16:10
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 11 distinct written forms H7081 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| הַ/קֶּ֣סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Ezekiel 21:22 | 1 |
| וְ/קֶ֖סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Ezekiel 13:23 | 1 |
| וְ/קֶ֣סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Ezekiel 13:6 | 1 |
| וְ/קֶ֤סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Jeremiah 14:14 | 1 |
| וּ/קְסָמִ֖ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Numbers 22:7 | 1 |
| קְסָמִ֖ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | 2 Kings 17:17 | 1 |
| קֶ֖סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Numbers 23:23 | 1 |
| קֶ֤סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Proverbs 16:10 | 1 |
| קֶ֨סֶם֙ | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | 1 Samuel 15:23 | 1 |
| קָ֑סֶם | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Ezekiel 21:21 | 1 |
| קֹסֵ֣ם | Verb, Qal, Participle Active, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Deuteronomy 18:10 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7081, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 11 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 11 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Numbers 22:7
- Deuteronomy 18:10
- 1 Samuel 15:23
- 2 Kings 17:17
- Proverbs 16:10
- Jeremiah 14:14
- Ezekiel 13:6
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
