אוֹב

n.m. Jb 32:19 skin-bottle, necromancer, etc.—abs. א׳ Lv 20:27 + 8 times; pl. אֹבוֹת Lv 19:31 + 7 times— skin-bottle, only pl. אֹבוֹת חֲדָשִׁים new (wine-) skins Jb 32:19. necromancer, in phr. אוֹב אוֹיִדְּעֹנִי necrom. or wizard Lv 20:27 (H; usually tr. ‘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 suff. reason for exceptional use of phrase here); א׳ וְיִדְּעֹנִי Dt 18:11 2 Ch 33:6 = 2 K 21:6 (where א׳ וידענים); הָאֹבוֹת וְהַיִּדְּעֹנִים Lv 19:31; 20:6 (H) 1 S 28:3, 9 2 K 23:24 Is 8:19 (where repres. as chirping & muttering, in practice of their art of seeking dead for instruction, prob. ventriloquism, & so 𝔊) 19:3. ghost, Is 29:4 וְהָיָה כְּאוֹב מֵאֶרֶץ קוֹלֵךְ וּמֵעָפָר אִמְרָתֵךְ 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 al., but chirping might be of necromancer, as 8:19). necromancy אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־אוֹב a woman who was mistress of necromancy 1 S 28:7(×2); (JPh. xiv, 127 f makes אוֹב primarily a subterranean spirit, and signif. 2 only an abbrev. of בעלתא׳ etc.); קסם בָּאוֹב divine by necromancy 1 S 28:8, which seems to be interpr. of 1 Ch 10:13 שׁאל בא׳ inquire by necromancy. (In these three exx. אוֹב is usually interpreted as ghost or familiar spirit conceived as dwelling in necromancer; but this apparently not the ancient conception.)