Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor
of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Elizabeth Sloane has written an excellent article on witches and witchcraft in the Bible. The article was published in Haaretz, a newspaper published in Israel.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live: A Murderous Mistranslation?
Not everybody agrees that the biblical reference in Exodus is to ‘witches’ as we understand them.
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” – Exodus 22:18 (22:17 in Hebrew)
This quote, found in the King James Version of the Bible, has been widely held responsible for the witch burnings that plagued Europe, and later America, in the Early Modern Period (1450 C.E. – 1750 C.E.). But the murderous practice may have all been the result of a Biblical mistranslation.
The original Hebrew word used in Exodus, translated as “witch,” is mekhashepha. But what that word actually meant when Exodus was written thousands of years ago, we cannot know, leaving us with only modern interpretations.
The word mekhashepha was translated as “witch” in the Ben Yehuda Hebrew Dictionary. The dictionary was written by Eliezer Ben Yehuda, who is considered by many to be the father of modern Hebrew and who established the Academy of the Hebrew language.
The root of the word, kashaph, is translated as “mutterings” by the late Merrill F. Unger, Biblical scholar and theologian, in his book Biblical Demonology. He too essentially interpreted mekhasheph as “witch,” specifically, “one who practices magic by using occult formulas, incantations, and mystic muttering.”
However, Kenneth Kitchen a bible scholar at the University of Liverpool, translates the root as “to cut” and thinks it might refer to cutting herbs (Kenneth Kitchen, Magic and Sorcery, 723).
The article by Sloane goes on to discuss how the Septuagint interpreted the word mekhashepha and whether the book of Exodus is referring to herbalists or poisoners, instead of witches.
Sloane has written a good article that should be read by those who are interested on this topic.
To read the remainder of the article, visit Haaretz online.
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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Congratulations on your anniversary! Twelve years is a very admirable accomplishment! I enjoyed your class, and hope you are enjoying your retirement! God Bless!
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Laura,
Thank you for your nice words. I enjoyed having you in my classes and I appreciate your good work. Retirement so far has been very busy, but I know that I will enjoy spending more time with my sons and their children.
Claude Mariottini
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Very interesting,,thank you for your post
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Hecate,
Thank you for visiting my blog. I am glad to know that you enjoyed my post on witches in the Bible.
Claude Mariottini
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This is complete nonsense and it is amazing the such stupidity is found among people who have spent years studying in universities and hold advanced degrees.
Just a tiny bit of research reveals that Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach killed 80 witches in one day, some 50 or so years before the common era, long before Christians were translating the Bible. A rabbi killed 80 witches who lived in a cave together where they “harmed the world” is what the Jewish documentation of the event proclaims. It is doubtful any mistranslation is responsible for their deaths.
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Exra,
Thank you for your comment. What is amazing to me is that a Rabbi believed in witches. In the Salem witch trials, many people were falsely accused of witchcraft and doing the work of the devil.
Claude Mariottini
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The Talmud states that Rabbi Simeon ben Shetach killed 80 witches in one day 50 years before the common era, long before Christians were translating the Bible.
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Dr Eagle,
Many women have been falsely accused of being witches and killed because of a misconception prompted by religious zeal. I wonder if Rabbi Simeon accused those women of witchcraft because of religious zeal.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Claude Mariottini
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The word should be translated to cutting mutterings. Which is when people cut other people down instead of edify others.
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Jill,
Thank you for your comment. I think you misunderstood what I was trying to convey with my post. The issue is whether the word should be translated as witches or cutting herbs as in a religious ritual. It has nothing to do with using words to edify or destroy people.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Claude Mariottini
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The Haaretz piece is wrong. Kitchener didn’t say it meant well poisoner, I read his entry in the New Bible dictionary and its clear he thinks it means witch.
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Fess,
Thank you for this information. I will read the article you mentioned in your comment.
Claude Mariottini
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