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.

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.

FAMILIAR

fa-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, 27 Deuteronomy 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, 9 1 Chronicles 10:13). King Manasseh fell into the same sin (2 Kings 21:6 2 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 41:9 Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 38:22; also in Obadiah 1:7, rendered "the men that were at peace with thee").

Edward Bagby Pollard

SPIRIT, FAMILIAR

See FAMILIAR; DIVINATION; PYTHON.

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. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3615.htm - 6k

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 more familiar; a Roman lady ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4252.htm - 6k

3850. parabole -- to expose oneself to danger
... This casts additional light by using an arresting or familiar analogy, (which
is often fictitious or metaphorical, but not necessarily). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3850.htm - 7k

3880. paralambano -- to receive from
... From para and lambano; to receive near, ie Associate with oneself (in any familiar
or intimate act or relation); by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3880.htm - 8k

4209. porphura -- purple fish, purple dye, purple cloth
... There were three familiar shades of purple in the ancient world: deep violet,
deep scarlet (or crimson), and deep blue (, 2, 220). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4209.htm - 7k

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. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2239.htm - 7k

4519. sabaoth -- Sabaoth, ie armies
... 4519 ("the Lord of ") only occurs in Ro 9:29 and Js 4:5, and correlates
to the familiar phrase, "the Lord of " in the OT and . Word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4519.htm - 7k

4917. sunthlao -- to crush together
... The verb means to shatter. We are familiar with an automobile that dashes against
a stone wall, a tree, or a train and the ruin that follows. (3039 ). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4917.htm - 7k

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 more familiar; a Roman lady ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4251.htm - 6k

3049. yiddeoni -- familiar spirit
... 3048, 3049. yiddeoni. 3050 . familiar spirit. Transliteration: yiddeoni Phonetic
Spelling: (yid-deh-o-nee') Short Definition: spiritists. ...
/hebrew/3049.htm - 6k

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 ( ...
/hebrew/3045.htm - 8k

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 ...
/hebrew/178.htm - 6k

5532. cakan -- to be of use or service, benefit
... A primitive root; to be familiar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable
to, be customary -- acquaint (self), be advantage, X ever, (be, (un ...
/hebrew/5532.htm - 5k

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 ...
/hebrew/7965.htm - 6k

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 ...
/hebrew/5234.htm - 6k

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 ...
/hebrew/441.htm - 5k

A Refutation of this Dogma on the Ground of Familiar Human ...
... II."From the Books on Nature. II. A Refutation of This Dogma on the Ground
of Familiar Human Analogies. How, shall we bear with ...
/.../dionysius/the works of dionysius/ii a refutation of this.htm

"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 his familiar sayings? "Moreover ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter x moreover it will.htm

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 very familiar to the Holy Scripture. ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter xxiii that the figure.htm

The Lord Our Shepherd
... Those texts with which we have been familiar from our childhood, which we learned
in the nursery at our mother's knee, which were used by those who loved us to ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 4 the lord our.htm

Old Testament Hymns
... References to their use appear throughout the New Testament and are familiar to
all. ... is the familiar Benedictus es, Domine; and the second part,. ...
/.../christian hymns of the first three centuries/ii old testament hymns.htm

The Power of Diligence
... It seems to me very like Peter that there should be so much in this letter about
the very commonplace and familiar excellence of diligence. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the power of diligence.htm

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 old familiar act, expressed by ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the meal at emmaus.htm

Salvation: Grace: Faith
... a dreary sermon. But the more familiar a word is, the more likely are common
ideas about it to be hazy. We substitute acquaintance ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/salvation grace faith.htm

New Testament Hymns
... recalled. Some passages are considered parts of familiar pieces otherwise
unknown. ... Homer. To the Hellenized orient it was familiar. ...
/.../christian hymns of the first three centuries/iii new testament hymns.htm

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 are familiar". ...
/.../thomas/the prayers of st paul/vi conflict and comfort.htm

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. ...
/f/familiar.htm - 22k

Wizards (10 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 20:27 And a man or woman -- when there is in them a familiar spirit, or
who 'are' wizards -- are certainly put to death; with stones they stone them ...
/w/wizards.htm - 10k

Spiritists (8 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 19:31 Turn ye not unto the ghosts, nor unto familiar spirits; seek them
not out, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. (See NAS NIV). ...
/s/spiritists.htm - 9k

Mediums (10 Occurrences)
... in his own city. Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the
wizards, out of the land. (See NAS RSV NIV). 1 Samuel 28 ...
/m/mediums.htm - 10k

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 ...
/d/devils.htm - 31k

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 ...
/d/demons.htm - 34k

Divined (6 Occurrences)
... in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land. (See JPS). 2 Kings 21:6 ...
/d/divined.htm - 8k

En-dor (3 Occurrences)
... Here dwelt the woman who had a familiar spirit, whom Saul consulted on the night
before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:7). Here also, according to Psalm 83 ...
/e/en-dor.htm - 11k

Endor (3 Occurrences)
... Here dwelt the woman who had a familiar spirit, whom Saul consulted on the night
before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:7). Here also, according to Psalm 83 ...
/e/endor.htm - 12k

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 ...
/w/with.htm - 20k

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