קָסַם (qa.sam)
qa.sam
to divine
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb qasam refers to the act of seeking hidden knowledge through omens or signs, a practice known as divination. In the Old Testament, it describes attempts to predict the future or uncover divine will by interpreting natural phenomena, casting lots, or reading entrails. This stands in sharp contrast to trusting God’s revealed word, making it a term associated with spiritual unfaithfulness.
Its usage appears most frequently in prophetic literature, particularly in Micah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. For instance, Micah 3:7 condemns false prophets who practice qasam, noting that their visions fail and their omens prove empty when judgment comes. Similarly, Jeremiah 27:9 warns against listening to those who attempt to divine the future through such means, labeling them as liars who lead people astray from God’s commands.
Etymologically, the root suggests a methodical search for signs, often involving ritualistic actions. While some ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed these practices as legitimate ways to access supernatural insight, Scripture consistently rejects them as idolatrous substitutes for genuine faith. Translators typically render qasam as "divine" or "practice divination," emphasizing its forbidden nature within the covenant community.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qasam describes a specific human attempt to bypass God's direct guidance by seeking hidden knowledge through signs or omens. In the ancient world, people often felt anxious about the future and looked for secret clues in nature or rituals to predict what would happen. Scripture consistently presents this as a failure of trust, suggesting that relying on such methods is essentially idolatry because it denies God's sovereignty over time and events.
For your faith today, this word serves as a gentle reminder to rest in God's revealed will rather than chasing after uncertainty. When you feel the urge to control outcomes or find hidden meanings in everyday coincidences, remember that God invites you to walk by faith, not by sight. The peace found in trusting His promises is far more reliable than any prediction made through divination.
This distinction helps clarify why biblical figures like Saul faced such severe consequences when they sought guidance from mediums instead of prophets. It highlights the importance of listening to God's clear word rather than being distracted by spiritual noise that leads away from Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- those/ [who] divine1×
- they divine1×
- the/ diviner1×
- from/ divining1×
- diviners/ your1×
- diviners1×
- divine1×
- and/ they divined1×
- and/ the/ diviners1×
- and/ diviners/ your1×
- and/ diviners1×
- and/ diviner1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קָֽסֳמִי1×
- קֹסֵ֣ם1×
- קֹסְמִ֖ים1×
- קֹֽסְמֵי/כֶ֗ם1×
- מִ/קְּסֹ֑ם1×
- יִקְסֹ֑מוּ1×
- וַ/יִּקְסְמ֥וּ1×
- וְ/קֹסֵ֥ם1×
- וְ/קֹסְמִ֖ים1×
- וְ/קֹֽסְמֵי/כֶ֑ם1×
- וְ/לַ/קֹּֽסְמִים֙1×
- וְ/הַ/קּֽוֹסְמִים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 18:14
For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you so to do.
This verse establishes the core theological contrast for Israel: while surrounding nations relied on diviners, Yahweh explicitly forbade His people from adopting these practices.
-
Micah 3:7
The seers shall be disappointed, and the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.”
Here the text shows the ultimate futility of the practice, as diviners are left speechless and shamed because their methods yield no true answer from God.
-
Jeremiah 27:9
But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;”
Jeremiah uses this term to warn the people that false diviners were actively deceiving them into rebelling against God's appointed king, Babylon.
-
Isaiah 44:25
who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
The prophet declares that God actively frustrates the signs of liars and drives diviners mad, demonstrating His power over all attempts to predict the future apart from Him.