Exodus 22:18 kjv
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Exodus 22:18 nkjv
"You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
Exodus 22:18 niv
"Do not allow a sorceress to live.
Exodus 22:18 esv
"You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
Exodus 22:18 nlt
"You must not allow a sorceress to live.
Exodus 22 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
| Deut 18:10-12 | There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter... or one who practices divination... a charmer, a medium, or a necromancer... For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord... | Expansive list of forbidden occult practices as an abomination to God. |
| Lev 19:31 | Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God. | Warning against spiritual defilement through consulting occultists. |
| Lev 20:6 | If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. | God's judgment against those who engage in or consult the occult. |
| Lev 20:27 | A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood is upon them. | Explicit death penalty for male or female mediums, affirming Ex 22:18. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry... | Equates rebellion against God with the serious sin of divination. |
| 1 Sam 28:7-25 | Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium..." So Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him... | Saul's ultimate failure and judgment stemming from consulting the medium of Endor. |
| 2 Kgs 21:6 | And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and necromancers... He did much evil in the sight of the Lord... | King Manasseh's idolatry included various occult practices, leading to judgment. |
| 2 Kgs 23:24 | Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem... | King Josiah's reform included the active purging of occultists and their tools. |
| Isa 8:19 | And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? | Contrast between seeking occultists and inquiring of God, highlighting God's sole authority. |
| Isa 47:9-14 | But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood; they shall come upon you in full measure... because of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments... | Judgment proclaimed against Babylon due to its pervasive use of sorcery and magic. |
| Mic 5:12 | And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers. | Prophecy of God cleansing His people from occult practices. |
| Nah 3:4 | All because of the countless harlotries of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her harlotries and tribes with her charms. | Condemnation of Nineveh, linking its spiritual depravity with "charms" (sorceries/magic). |
| Acts 8:9-11 | But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. | Simon the sorcerer's deceptive influence over people prior to his encounter with Philip. |
| Acts 13:6-12 | When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus... And Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit... | Paul's confrontation and judgment of Elymas the sorcerer, demonstrating divine power over occultism. |
| Acts 19:18-19 | Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their evil practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all... | Evidence of conversion to Christ leading to rejection and destruction of magic materials. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy... Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | "Sorcery" (pharmakeia) listed among the works of the flesh that exclude from God's kingdom. |
| Rev 9:20-21 | The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols... nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. | Unrepentant continuance of "sorceries" (pharmakeia) as a sign of rebellion against God during judgment. |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. | Sorcerers explicitly condemned to eternal judgment in the lake of fire. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. | Those who practice "sorcery" (pharmakeia) are excluded from the New Jerusalem. |
| Jer 27:9 | So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your augurers, or your sorcerers, who say to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.' | Warning against relying on occult practices for political guidance or spiritual truth. |
Exodus 22 verses
Exodus 22 18 Meaning
Exodus 22:18 states an absolute prohibition: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." This is a divine command to Israel that no practitioner of sorcery or witchcraft, specifically a female practitioner (witch/sorceress), should be allowed to survive within their community. This instruction indicates that such individuals were to be executed, signaling the severe and intolerable nature of their practice in the sight of God and for the spiritual purity of Israel.
Exodus 22 18 Context
Exodus 22:18 is part of the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 20:22 - 23:33), which elaborates on the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. These laws detail specific behaviors required of Israel as a holy nation under God's direct rule, covering social justice, worship, and ethical conduct. Chapter 22 specifically addresses offenses against property and persons, but also includes grave spiritual offenses. The placement of this law immediately following laws against bestiality (v.19) and offering sacrifices to other gods (v.20) underscores the seriousness of witchcraft as a severe violation of the covenant, considered a capital offense. In the ancient Near East, surrounding nations often consulted mediums and sorcerers for guidance, power, or to manipulate events. By strictly forbidding and punishing witchcraft, God established a stark contrast, demanding exclusive reliance on Him alone and rejecting any form of spiritual power or knowledge outside His divinely appointed channels (priests, prophets). It was a clear polemic against pagan practices prevalent in Egypt and Canaan, designed to maintain the purity and distinctiveness of God's people.
Exodus 22 18 Word analysis
Thou shalt not suffer: The Hebrew phrase is "לֹא תְחַיֶּה" (lo t'khayyeh).
- לֹא (lo): A definitive negative particle, meaning "not." It implies a categorical prohibition.
- תְחַיֶּה (t'khayyeh): This is the Hiphil imperfect form of the verb חָיָה (chayah), meaning "to live" or "to keep alive." The Hiphil stem is causative, so "you shall not cause to live," or "you shall not let live," "you shall not preserve alive." This construction unequivocally demands that the life of the person in question should not be maintained, implying execution or cessation of life, not merely exclusion. It mirrors the language for other capital offenses in the Law.
a witch: The Hebrew word is "מְכַשֵּׁפָה" (m'khashshefah).
- This is the feminine participle of the verb כָּשַׁף (kashaf), meaning "to practice magic, enchantment, sorcery." Thus, "a female who practices kashaf," a sorceress or witch. While this specific word is feminine, the concept applies equally to male practitioners in other contexts (e.g., מְכַשֵּׁף - mekashsheph, in Deut 18:10).
Kashafin ancient Near Eastern context often referred to practitioners who claimed to manipulate supernatural forces, spirits, or even use herbs/drugs (the Greekpharmakeia, which means drug-related sorcery, hints at this aspect) for malevolent purposes, divination, or to control others. It distinguished itself from genuine prophecy from God.- The practice aimed at gaining power, knowledge, or control by illicit, often demonic, means, which was seen as a direct challenge to God's sole authority.
Words-group analysis:
- "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live": This is an unequivocal command for the capital punishment of sorcerers. It reflects the theological premise that practicing witchcraft is an egregious offense against Yahweh's sovereignty and His exclusive right to communicate and work supernaturally among His people. It directly opposes pagan polytheistic beliefs and practices, emphasizing spiritual purity and absolute devotion to God, leaving no room for reliance on any other spiritual power.
Exodus 22 18 Bonus section
The Hebrew term "מְכַשֵּׁפָה" (m'khashshefah) for 'witch' or 'sorceress' implies more than mere folk superstition. In the ancient Near East, such practitioners were believed to wield real, often harmful, spiritual power. Therefore, the command was not merely against an erroneous belief system but against individuals engaged in spiritual warfare against God's order, a threat serious enough to warrant capital punishment. This severe penalty demonstrates the radical distinction God drew between His divine interaction with humanity through true prophecy and the illicit attempts at manipulating the spiritual realm by occult means, often linked to demonic activity or worship of false deities. It highlights God’s determination to root out any spiritual rival and establish a holy, pure community solely dependent on Him.
Exodus 22 18 Commentary
Exodus 22:18 underscores the severe implications of witchcraft as an affront to the absolute sovereignty of God. This capital punishment was not arbitrary; it stemmed from the foundational covenant where Israel was called to be exclusively Yahweh's people, rejecting all forms of idolatry and practices that relied on foreign gods or occult manipulation. Witchcraft, by its very nature, sought power, knowledge, or influence from sources other than the one true God, making it a direct challenge to His authority and a form of spiritual treason. It also threatened the moral and spiritual fabric of the community, often associated with deceit, exploitation, and even demonic influence. The Law demanded the absolute removal of such a spiritual malignancy from the nation to preserve its covenant relationship with God and to ensure the well-being and purity of its people. This reflects God’s fierce jealousy for His own glory and His uncompromising opposition to anything that draws His people away from Him.