Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "familiar" is often associated with "familiar spirits," which refers to spirits or entities that are believed to assist or communicate with humans, often through mediums or necromancers. The concept of familiar spirits is primarily found in the Old Testament, where it is consistently condemned as contrary to the worship and reliance on the one true God.
Biblical References:1.
Leviticus 19:31 : "You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God." This verse explicitly warns the Israelites against seeking out those who claim to communicate with familiar spirits, emphasizing the defilement that comes from such practices.
2.
Leviticus 20:6 : "Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people." Here, God declares His opposition to those who engage with familiar spirits, equating such actions with spiritual unfaithfulness.
3.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 : "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable things the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you." This passage lists consulting familiar spirits among other forbidden practices, underscoring the severity of such actions in the eyes of God.
4.
1 Samuel 28:7-8 : "Then Saul said to his servants, 'Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.' 'There is a woman at Endor who is a medium,' his servants replied. So Saul disguised himself, put on other clothes, and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman by night, and Saul said, 'Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.'" This narrative describes King Saul's desperate and forbidden attempt to consult a familiar spirit through the medium at Endor, highlighting the spiritual decline and disobedience that marked the end of his reign.
5.
Isaiah 8:19 : "When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, should not a people consult their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" The prophet Isaiah challenges the people to seek guidance from God rather than from familiar spirits, emphasizing the futility and error of turning to the dead for counsel.
Theological Implications:The consistent biblical prohibition against engaging with familiar spirits reflects a broader theological principle: the exclusive worship and reliance on God. The Israelites were called to be a people set apart, wholly devoted to the LORD, and any engagement with familiar spirits was seen as a breach of this covenant relationship. Such practices were associated with pagan religions and were considered acts of rebellion against God's authority and provision.
In the New Testament, while the specific term "familiar spirits" is not used, the underlying principle remains. Believers are encouraged to seek wisdom and guidance from God through prayer and the Holy Spirit, rather than through occult practices or entities. The New Testament continues to affirm the sufficiency of Christ and the Holy Spirit as the source of truth and guidance for believers.
Cultural Context:In the ancient Near Eastern context, the belief in and consultation of familiar spirits was a common practice among surrounding nations. These practices often involved rituals and ceremonies intended to invoke the presence and guidance of spirits, which were believed to possess knowledge or power beyond the natural realm. The biblical injunctions against such practices served to distinguish the Israelites from their neighbors and to reinforce their unique identity as God's chosen people.
Modern Relevance:Today, the concept of familiar spirits can be seen in various forms of occultism and spiritualism that persist in contemporary culture. The biblical warnings against engaging with such practices remain relevant, urging believers to seek their spiritual guidance and strength from God alone. The emphasis on spiritual discernment and faithfulness to God's Word continues to be a foundational aspect of Christian life and practice.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Familiar spirit
Sorcerers or necormancers, who professed to call up the dead to answer questions, were said to have a "familiar spirit" (Deuteronomy 18:11;2 Kings 21:6;2 Chronicles 33:6;Leviticus 19:31;20:6;Isaiah 8:19;29:4). Such a person was called by the Hebrews an 'ob, which properly means a leathern bottle; for sorcerers were regarded as vessels containing the inspiring demon. This Hebrew word was equivalent to the pytho of the Greeks, and was used to denote both the person and the spirit which possessed him (Leviticus 20:27;1 Samuel 28:8; Comp.Acts 16:16). The word "familiar" is from the Latin familiaris, meaning a "household servant," and was intended to express the idea that sorcerers had spirits as their servants ready to obey their commands.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Of or pertaining to a family; domestic.
2. (a.) Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures.
3. (a.) Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible.
4. (a.) Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration.
5. (a.) Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate.
6. (n.) An intimate; a companion.
7. (n.) An attendant demon or evil spirit.
8. (n.) A confidential officer employed in the service of the tribunal, especially in apprehending and imprisoning the accused.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
FAMILIARfa-mil'-yar: Is found as an adjective qualifying "friend" and "spirit."
(1) Used, in a number of Old Testament passages, of spirits which were supposed to come at the call of one who had power over them. 'obh, literally, something "hollow"; compare 'obh, "bottle" (Job 32:19 the King James Version); because the voice of the spirit might have been supposed to come from the one possessed, as from a bottle, or because of the hollow sound which characterized the utterance, as out of the ground (Isaiah 29:4); or, as some have conjectured, akin to 'ubh, "return" (nekromantis). Probably called "familiar" because it was regarded as a servant (famulus), belonging to the family (familiaris), who might be summoned to do the commands of the one possessing it. The practice of consulting familiar spirits was forbidden by the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:31;Leviticus 20:6, 27Deuteronomy 18:11). King Saul put this away early in his reign, but consulted the witch of Endor, who "had a familiar spirit" (1 Samuel 28:3, 7, 8, 91 Chronicles 10:13). King Manasseh fell into the same sin (2 Kings 21:62 Chronicles 33:6); but Josiah put those who dealt with familiar spirits out of the land (2 Kings 23:24).
It seems probable, however, that the practice prevailed more or less among the people till the exile (Isaiah 8:19;Isaiah 19:3). See "Divination by the 'Ob" in The Expositor T, IX, 157; ASTROLOGY, 1; COMMUNION WITH DEMONS.
(2) "Familiars," "familiar friend," from yadha`, "to know," hence, "acquaintance," one intimately attached (Job 19:14); but more frequently of 'enosh shalom, "man of (my or thy) peace," that is, one to whom the salutation of peace is given (Psalm 41:9Jeremiah 20:10;Jeremiah 38:22; also in Obadiah 1:7, rendered "the men that were at peace with thee").
Edward Bagby Pollard
SPIRIT, FAMILIAR
SeeFAMILIAR;DIVINATION; PYTHON.
Greek
3615. oikiakos -- belonging to the household... member of a household. From oikia;
familiar, ie (as noun) relatives -- they (them)
of (his own) household. see GREEK oikia. (oikiakoi) -- 1 Occurrence.
...4252. Priskilla -- Priscilla, the same person as Prisca.
... Prisca, Priscilla Definition: Prisca, Priscilla, the former being the more correct
and formal name, the latter a diminutive and morefamiliar; a Roman lady...
3850. parabole -- to expose oneself to danger
... This casts additional light by using an arresting orfamiliar analogy, (which
is often fictitious or metaphorical, but not necessarily)....
3880. paralambano -- to receive from
... From para and lambano; to receive near, ie Associate with oneself (in anyfamiliar
or intimate act or relation); by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively...
4209. porphura -- purple fish, purple dye, purple cloth
... There were threefamiliar shades of purple in the ancient world: deep violet,
deep scarlet (or crimson), and deep blue (, 2, 220)....
2239. ethos -- custom
... 2239 (from 1485 , "habit, custom") -- "familiar morals," referring to daily (moral ,
behavioral ). 2239 ("habits, regarded") only occurs in 1 Cor 15:33....
4519. sabaoth -- Sabaoth, ie armies
... 4519 ("the Lord of ") only occurs in Ro 9:29 and Js 4:5, and correlates
to thefamiliar phrase, "the Lord of " in the OT and . Word...
4917. sunthlao -- to crush together
... The verb means to shatter. We arefamiliar with an automobile that dashes against
a stone wall, a tree, or a train and the ruin that follows. (3039 )....
4251. Priska -- Prisca, a Christian and the wife of Aquila
... Prisca, Priscilla Definition: Prisca, Priscilla, the former being the more correct
and formal name, the latter a diminutive and morefamiliar; a Roman lady...
Strong's Hebrew
3049. yiddeoni --familiar spirit... 3048, 3049. yiddeoni. 3050 .
familiar spirit. Transliteration: yiddeoni Phonetic
Spelling: (yid-deh-o-nee') Short Definition: spiritists.
...3045. yada -- to know
... 1), detected (1), directed (1), discern (2), disciplined (1), discovered (3),
distinguish (1), endowed (3), experienced (4), experiences (1),familiar friend (...
178. ob -- a bottle (made from animal skin), a necromancer
... 9), spirit (1), wineskins (1). bottle,familiar spirit. From the same as
'ab (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's...
5532. cakan -- to be of use or service, benefit
... A primitive root; to befamiliar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable
to, be customary -- acquaint (self), be advantage, X ever, (be, (un...
7965. shalom -- completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
... shaw-lome'}; from shalam; safe, ie (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also
(abstractly) welfare, ie Health, prosperity, peace -- X do,familiar, X fare...
5234. nakar -- to regard, recognize
... 1), acknowledge (3), acknowledges (1), discern (1), distinguish (1), distinguishes
(1), examine (1), examine and see (1), examined (1),familiar (1), know (2...
441. alluwph -- tame
... Or (shortened) talluph {al-loof'}; from 'alph;familiar; a friend, also gentle;
hence, a bullock (as being tame; applied, although masculine, to a cow); and so...
Library
A Refutation of this Dogma on the Ground ofFamiliar Human...
... II."From the Books on Nature. II. A Refutation of This Dogma on the Ground
ofFamiliar Human Analogies. How, shall we bear with...
"Moreover, it Will be Worth While to Relate Also Some of his...
... Dialogues of Sulpitius Severus. Chapter X. "Moreover, it will be worth while
to relate also some of hisfamiliar sayings? "Moreover...
That the Figure Synecdoche, in which the Part Stands for the Whole...
... Book VI. Chapter XXIII. That the figure Synecdoche, in which the part stands
for the whole, is veryfamiliar to the Holy Scripture....
The Lord Our Shepherd
... Those texts with which we have beenfamiliar from our childhood, which we learned
in the nursery at our mother's knee, which were used by those who loved us to...
Old Testament Hymns
... References to their use appear throughout the New Testament and arefamiliar to
all.... is thefamiliar Benedictus es, Domine; and the second part,....
The Power of Diligence
... It seems to me very like Peter that there should be so much in this letter about
the very commonplace andfamiliar excellence of diligence....
The Meal at Emmaus
... with which more than one of the Evangelists describes the miraculous feeding of
the four and the five thousand; and it was the oldfamiliar act, expressed by...
Salvation: Grace: Faith
... a dreary sermon. But the morefamiliar a word is, the more likely are common
ideas about it to be hazy. We substitute acquaintance...
New Testament Hymns
... recalled. Some passages are considered parts offamiliar pieces otherwise
unknown.... Homer. To the Hellenized orient it wasfamiliar....
Conflict and Comfort.
... We discern something of this opposition in the well-known words, "We wrestle"
(Ephesians 6:12); and the words of the hymn are as true as they arefamiliar"....
Thesaurus
Familiar (35 Occurrences)...Familiar spirit.
... 2. (a.) Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion;
well versed in, as any subject of study; as,
familiar with the Scriptures.
...Wizards (10 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 20:27 And a man or woman -- when there is in them afamiliar spirit, or
who 'are' wizards -- are certainly put to death; with stones they stone them...
Spiritists (8 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 19:31 Turn ye not unto the ghosts, nor untofamiliar spirits; seek them
not out, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. (See NAS NIV)....
Mediums (10 Occurrences)
... in his own city. Saul had put away those who hadfamiliar spirits, and the
wizards, out of the land. (See NAS RSV NIV). 1 Samuel 28...
Devils (48 Occurrences)
... is evident, but it is implied in the English version of a number of passages by
the terms "one who has" or "those who have" "familiar spirits" (Leviticus 19:31...
Demons (54 Occurrences)
... is evident, but it is implied in the English version of a number of passages by
the terms "one who has" or "those who have" "familiar spirits" (Leviticus 19:31...
Divined (6 Occurrences)
... in his own city. And Saul had put away those that hadfamiliar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land. (See JPS). 2 Kings 21:6...
En-dor (3 Occurrences)
... Here dwelt the woman who had afamiliar spirit, whom Saul consulted on the night
before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:7). Here also, according to Psalm 83...
Endor (3 Occurrences)
... Here dwelt the woman who had afamiliar spirit, whom Saul consulted on the night
before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:7). Here also, according to Psalm 83...
With (66342 Occurrences)
... is evident, but it is implied in the English version of a number of passages by
the terms "one who has" or "those who have" "familiar spirits" (Leviticus 19:31...
Resources
What are familiar spirits? | GotQuestions.orgWhy is it important to be familiar with church history? | GotQuestions.orgWhat do John 1:1,14 mean when they declare that Jesus is the Word of God? | GotQuestions.orgFamiliar: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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