Leviticus 19:31 kjv
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31 nkjv
'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31 niv
"?'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31 esv
"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.
Leviticus 19:31 nlt
"Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 18:10-12 | There shall not be found among you anyone who practices divination... | Strict prohibition of these practices as detestable. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination... | Linking disobedience to God with forbidden practices. |
| 1 Chr 10:13-14 | Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord... he had consulted a medium | Saul's demise due to seeking guidance from a medium. |
| Lev 20:6 | If anyone turns to mediums or spiritists... I will set my face against that person. | Divine judgment on those who consult forbidden sources. |
| Lev 20:27 | A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist... shall surely be put to death. | Severe punishment for practicing these acts. |
| 2 Ki 21:6 | Manasseh also... consulted mediums and spiritists. | Manasseh's idolatry included these forbidden acts. |
| Is 8:19 | When people tell you, "Consult mediums and spiritists"... should not a people inquire of their God? | Calls for seeking God over forbidden sources. |
| Is 47:12-14 | Let your astrologers and stargazers come forward... they are like stubble. | Futility of pagan diviners against God's power. |
| Mic 5:12 | I will destroy your witchcraft... | God promises to remove all forms of sorcery. |
| Eze 13:20,23 | I am against your magic bands... you will no longer see false visions. | Condemnation of false prophetesses and their magic. |
| Jer 27:9-10 | Do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers... | Warning against relying on false prophecies. |
| Acts 8:9-24 | Simon had practiced sorcery in the city... he could not receive God's power. | Simon the sorcerer's inability to buy spiritual gifts. |
| Acts 16:16-18 | A slave girl having a spirit of divination met us... Paul cast it out. | Deliverance from a spirit of divination. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | The acts of the flesh are obvious... idolatry and witchcraft. | Witchcraft listed as a work of the flesh. |
| Rev 21:8 | But for the cowardly... and sorcerers... their place will be in the fiery lake. | Eternal condemnation for those involved in sorcery. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts... | Exclusion of those practicing sorcery from God's presence. |
| Num 12:6-8 | When there is a prophet among you... I speak to him in visions. | God's chosen way of revealing Himself to prophets. |
| 2 Tim 3:16-17 | All Scripture is God-breathed... equipping for every good work. | Sufficiency of God's Word for guidance. |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active... | The power and effectiveness of God's Word. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits. | Call for discernment of spirits. |
| 1 Cor 10:20-21 | What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons... You cannot drink the cup of the Lord. | Association of pagan practices with demons. |
| Lev 18:24-30 | Do not defile yourselves... because by all these things the nations defiled themselves. | Emphasizes defilement by practices of pagan nations. |
| Matt 15:18-19 | But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart; these defile. | True defilement originates from the heart. |
| Deut 4:29 | If you seek the Lord your God, you will find him... | Seeking God is the rightful source of knowledge. |
Leviticus 19 verses
Leviticus 19 31 Meaning
This verse strictly forbids the Israelites from consulting mediums or seeking out spiritists, stating that engaging in such practices will lead to defilement. It concludes with the emphatic declaration, "I am the Lord your God," emphasizing His supreme authority as the sole true source of guidance and power, and highlighting that such forbidden actions are a direct affront to His holiness and sovereignty over His covenant people.
Leviticus 19 31 Context
Leviticus 19 is part of the "Holiness Code" (Leviticus 17-26), a section outlining Israel's ethical and ritual laws for living a holy life, reflecting God's own character ("You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy," Lev 19:2). This chapter details various commandments covering social justice, respect for parents, observance of Sabbaths, ethical behavior, and prohibitions against idolatry and pagan practices. Verse 31 specifically addresses a key area of spiritual purity, forbidding reliance on unauthorized and illicit sources of supernatural knowledge prevalent in the ancient Near East (ANE). The surrounding cultures heavily practiced divination, necromancy, and various forms of magic. God's command here asserts Israel's distinctive identity, set apart from such pagan defilements, emphasizing that Yahweh alone is the source of all true revelation and power.
Leviticus 19 31 Word analysis
- Do not turn (אַל-תִּפְנוּ - `al-tifnu`): A strong negative command, not merely against passively observing, but actively choosing to incline towards, consult, or pay attention to these illicit sources. It implies a deliberate turning away from God as the primary source of truth.
- mediums (אֹבֹת - `ovot`, singular `ov`): Refers to those who claimed to call up the dead (necromancers) to obtain information. The word `ov` can literally mean a "leather bottle" or "skin bottle," possibly alluding to the ventriloquistic sounds attributed to these spirits emerging from the ground or from the medium, like a guttural sound from a container. These individuals served as a channel for perceived spirits.
- or seek out (וְאֶל-יִדְּעֹנִים תְּבַקֵּשׁוּ - `v'el-yidde'onim t'vakeshu`): The verb `bakash` ("to seek out" or "to earnestly search") denotes a proactive and intentional effort to find and consult these individuals. This highlights a willful decision to bypass God's ordained means of communication.
- spiritists / wizards (יִדְּעֹנִים - `yidde'onim`, singular `yidde'oni`): Derived from the Hebrew word `yada` ("to know"), literally "the knowing ones" or "those who know." These were individuals associated with secret knowledge, spells, omens, or predictions, often believed to derive their insights from "familiar spirits." They were practitioners of divination and sorcery.
- for you will be defiled by them (לְטָמְאָה בָהֶם - `l'ṭum'ah bahem`): This specifies the consequence. `Tum'ah` (`ṭum'ah`) refers to ritual and spiritual impurity. Engaging in these practices makes a person ceremonially unclean and, more significantly, spiritually polluted. Such defilement breaks their covenant relationship with God and separates them from the holy community, rendering them unfit for sacred service and communion. It's an internal spiritual corruption.
- I am the Lord your God (אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - `ani YHWH Eloheykhem`): This is a powerful self-declaration by God, appearing frequently in Leviticus. It functions as the ultimate basis for the command. It asserts God's identity as the sovereign Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. This declaration reinforces His exclusive claim to Israel's worship, obedience, and reliance. It serves as a reminder that He is the sole, trustworthy, and holy source of all true guidance and power, making the consultation of mediums and spiritists a profound act of disloyalty and spiritual infidelity.
Leviticus 19 31 Bonus section
The strong prohibition in Leviticus 19:31 is further emphasized in Leviticus 20:6 and 20:27, which prescribe severe penalties, including death, for those who practice or consult mediums and spiritists. This highlights the extreme seriousness with which God views these actions, as they represent a grave rebellion against His authority and an immediate threat to the spiritual purity of His people. The act of "turning to" these practices is a turning away from God Himself, an indication of a lack of faith in His ability or willingness to guide and protect. This reflects a divine boundary meant to safeguard the Israelites from deceptive spiritual forces and to maintain their singular devotion to Him. Such practices typically involve either demonic deception or outright fraud, both of which are detestable to God.
Leviticus 19 31 Commentary
Leviticus 19:31 serves as a fundamental prohibition against occult practices, reinforcing Israel's covenant with Yahweh alone. The verse warns against consulting mediums (necromancers) and spiritists (diviners/wizards), practices prevalent in the surrounding pagan cultures of the ancient Near East. These acts are condemned not merely as social deviance but as spiritual defilement, rendering the practitioner impure and separated from God. The emphatic declaration, "I am the Lord your God," underscores God's absolute authority and unique status as the exclusive source of all true spiritual insight and revelation. Seeking guidance from any other source is a direct affront to His sovereignty, an act of idolatry, and a betrayal of the covenant relationship. It reflects a distrust in God's sufficiency and opens oneself to demonic influence, which is always anathema to God's holiness. This command is perpetually relevant, cautioning believers against any involvement with the occult, including astrology, fortune-telling, séances, or any practice that seeks spiritual insight apart from God's revealed Word and Holy Spirit.