BDB166
אוֺב noun masculine Job 32:19 skin-bottle, necromancer, etc. — absolute ׳ א Lev 20:27 + 8 t.; plural אֹבוֺת Lev 19:31 + 7 t. —
1.
skin-bottle, only plural אֹבוֺת חֲדָשִׁים
new (wine-) skins
Job 32:19.
2.
necromancer, in phrase אוֺב אוֺ יִדְּעֹנִי
necromancer or wizard
Lev 20:27 (
H
; usually translated 'a man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard'
RV
; but better a man or a woman, if there should be among them, a necromancer or wizard
; no sufficient reason for exceptional use of phrase here); וְיִדְּעֹנִי
׳
א
Deut 18:11;
2Chr 33:6 =
2Kgs 21:6
(where וידענים
׳
א); הָאֹבוֺת וְהַיִּדְּעֹנִים
Lev 19:31;
Lev 20:6 (
H
) 1Sam 28:3
; 1Sam 28:9
; 2Kgs
23:24; Isa
8:19 (where repres. as chirping & muttering, in practice of their art of seeking dead for
instruction, probably ventriloquism, & so
ᵐ5
) Isa 19:3
.
3. ghost, Isa 29:4
וְהָיָה כְּאוֺב מֵאֶרֶץ קוֺלֵח וּמֵעָפָר
אִמְרָתֵח תְּצַפְצֵף
and thy voice shall be as a ghost from the ground and from the dust thy speech shall chirp
(so Ge MV
Ew
De
Che and others, but chirping might be of necromancer, as Isa 8:19).
4.
necromancy
אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַתאֿוֺב
a woman who was mistress of necromancy
1Sam 28:7
(twice in verse); (> RSJPh xiv, 127 f makes
אוֺב primarily a subterranean spirit, and signifies
2 only an abbreviation of ׳
בעלתא etc.); קסם בּאוֺב
divine by necromancy
1Sam 28:8, which
seems to be interpretation of 1Chr 10:13
׳
שׁאל בא
inquire by necromancy. (In these three examples אוֺב is usually interpreted
as ghost or familiar spirit conceived as dwelling in necromancer; but this apparently not the ancient conception.)