Strong's H178 · Hebrew
אוֹב
ʼôwb · /obe/
Definition
properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar)
KJV: bottle, familiar spirit.
Root / derivation: from the same as H1 (אָב) (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name);
KJV usage breakdown
How the Authorized (KJV) translators rendered אוֹב across 16 verses.
Every occurrence (KJV)
16 verses use this word, grouped by book — the translated form is highlighted.
Leviticus3 verses
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Leviticus 20:27A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Deuteronomy1 verse
1 Samuel4 verses
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
1 Samuel 28:7Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
1 Samuel 28:8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
1 Samuel 28:9And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
2 Kings2 verses
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
2 Kings 23:24Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. images: or, teraphim
Isaiah3 verses
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
Isaiah 19:3And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. fail: Heb. be emptied destroy: Heb. swallow up
Isaiah 29:4And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. whisper: Heb. peep, or, chirp
Topics that use this word
Frequently asked questions
What does Strong's H178 (ʼôwb) mean?
properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar)
How many times does H178 appear in the Bible?
Strong's H178 (אוֹב) appears in 16 verses of the King James Version, most often translated “spirits.”
How is ʼôwb translated in the KJV?
In the KJV, Strong's H178 is rendered as “spirits” (9×), “spirit” (7×), “bottles” (1×).
Where does the Hebrew word אוֹב come from?
from the same as H1 (אָב) (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name);