Exodus 22:18
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:21 pm
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (King James Version)
This Bible verse in particular is quoted the most often whenever the topic of Witchcraft is mentioned. This is especially true whenever someone wants to raid a board such as this and threaten the participants with death if they do not change their ways. Yet how much have they actually studied the book they claim revere so dearly?
This Bible chapter deals specifically with property rights and social law. When this verse is taken within context with the rest of the chapter, is a warning not to harm your neighbor. If something is done maliciously or heedlessly, there will be restitution to pay. Verse 18 in particular specifies mechashefah or m'khashephah. It is dealing with people who use spells to "cut off" (life and prosperity). Examples could include casting a spell to cause a drought or spread a plague.
Years later, when Hebrew writings were translated into Septugiant, the word was changed to pharmakous or "poisoner." Apparently, the sorts of things that struck terror in the hearts of rural people did not scare city dwellers. However there were some problems with early pharmacists and alchemists, namely witches and wizards, who abused their knowledge and power to deliberately concoct poisons.
In both cases, there is disagreement by some on whether or not both the Hebrew and the Septuagint versions are actually saying to execute them, or if it is saying merely not to "keep" them and to help them sustain their livelihood. According to Jewish Shaman Gershon Winkler, the verse actually says, "You should not sustain a witch." It was intended as protection against humbuggers that used fear and intimidation tactics to drain people of their money, and to tell those who have special powers to use only kind and beneficial magic. Another variation of the same verse says, "From sorcery you should not live," meaning do NOT make a living out of practicing sorcery.
The resources I used for this wee post are as follows:
Biblos.com
Proteus Library article
Jewish Shamanism
This Bible verse in particular is quoted the most often whenever the topic of Witchcraft is mentioned. This is especially true whenever someone wants to raid a board such as this and threaten the participants with death if they do not change their ways. Yet how much have they actually studied the book they claim revere so dearly?
This Bible chapter deals specifically with property rights and social law. When this verse is taken within context with the rest of the chapter, is a warning not to harm your neighbor. If something is done maliciously or heedlessly, there will be restitution to pay. Verse 18 in particular specifies mechashefah or m'khashephah. It is dealing with people who use spells to "cut off" (life and prosperity). Examples could include casting a spell to cause a drought or spread a plague.
Years later, when Hebrew writings were translated into Septugiant, the word was changed to pharmakous or "poisoner." Apparently, the sorts of things that struck terror in the hearts of rural people did not scare city dwellers. However there were some problems with early pharmacists and alchemists, namely witches and wizards, who abused their knowledge and power to deliberately concoct poisons.
In both cases, there is disagreement by some on whether or not both the Hebrew and the Septuagint versions are actually saying to execute them, or if it is saying merely not to "keep" them and to help them sustain their livelihood. According to Jewish Shaman Gershon Winkler, the verse actually says, "You should not sustain a witch." It was intended as protection against humbuggers that used fear and intimidation tactics to drain people of their money, and to tell those who have special powers to use only kind and beneficial magic. Another variation of the same verse says, "From sorcery you should not live," meaning do NOT make a living out of practicing sorcery.
The resources I used for this wee post are as follows:
Biblos.com
Proteus Library article
Jewish Shamanism