נָחַשׁ nachash
Hebrew word for “to divine” · Strong’s H5172 · used 11 times in 9 verses
Meaning
1) to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen;
How it is translated
Glosses given for nachash in context, with how often each is used:
- practiced divination 3
- indeed 2
- practices divination 2
- have learned by divination 1
- will practice divination 1
- augurer 1
- observed the signs 1
Where it is used
| Book | Uses | Per 1,000 words | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 5 | 0.2 | |
| 2 Kings | 2 | 0.2 | |
| Leviticus | 1 | 0.1 | |
| Deuteronomy | 1 | 0.1 | |
| 1 Kings | 1 | 0.1 | |
| 2 Chronicles | 1 | 0.1 |
Chapters where it is used most
Genesis 44 (2), Genesis 30 (1), Leviticus 19 (1), Deuteronomy 18 (1), 1 Kings 20 (1), 2 Kings 17 (1), 2 Kings 21 (1), 2 Chronicles 33 (1)
Forms
- נחשׁ 2
- ינחשׁ 2
- ונחשׁ 2
- נחשׁתי 1
- תנחשׁו 1
- ומנחשׁ 1
- ינחשׁו 1
- וינחשׁו 1
Words used with it
Words that share verses with nachash more often than their overall frequency would suggest:
- עָנַן anan “to divine” 4
- כָּעַס kaas “to provoke” 3
- אֵשׁ esh “fire” 4
- כָּשַׁף kashaph “to practice sorcery” 2
- עָבַר avar “to pass” 4
- קֶסֶם qesem “divination” 2
- יִדְּעֹנִי yiddoni “spiritist” 2
- אוֹב ov “medium” 2
- קָסַם qasam “to divine” 2
- עַיִן ayin “eye” 4
- רַע ra “bad” 3
- רָבָה ravah “to multiply” 2
Key verses
The verses using nachash that are most connected by cross-references (King James Version):
- Genesis 30:27 — And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
- Genesis 44:5 — Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
- Genesis 44:15 — And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
- Leviticus 19:26 — Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 — There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or…
- 1 Kings 20:33 — Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye,…
- 2 Kings 17:17 — And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of…
- 2 Kings 21:6 — And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness…
- 2 Chronicles 33:6 — And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and…
See all 9 verses in the Word Atlas
Hebrew and Greek text, tagging, glosses and lexicon definitions: STEPBible.org, Tyndale House Cambridge (TAHOT, TAGNT, TBESH, TBESG; CC BY 4.0), adapted. Counts follow King James verse numbering; a word counts each time it is written.