What Are Familiar Spirits in the Bible? When a pastor spoke about familiar spirits, I was unaware of the biblical meaning. And so, I searched my Bible to help me understand the meaning of familiar spirits. Here is what I found.

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Familiar Spirits in the Bible

These spirits appear in the book of Leviticus, so let’s examine them. Here afre three verses about familiar spirits:

‘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 NKJV

‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. Leviticus 206 NKJV

 ‘A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’ ” Leviticus 20:27 NKJV

In these three verses, the phrase “mediums AND familiar spirits” is placed together. The original language of Leviticus is Hebrew, so let us look up these words in the Strong’s Concordance to see their meanings.

Mediums are (H178) a water skin bottle, or a necromancer, one who evokes the dead, a ghost, or the spirit of a dead one. It also means (apparently through the idea of prattling a father’s name), properly, a mumble, i.e., a water-skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar):—bottle, familiar spirit. Necromancer is usually translated ‘a man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard’.’

Familiar Spirits are defined as (H3049) a knower, one who has a familiar spirit, soothsayer, necromancer. It also means properly, a knowing one; specifically, a conjurer; (by implication) a ghost:—wizard.

More Verses About Familiar Spirits

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 NKJV

Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. 1 Samuel 28:3 NKJV

Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” 1 Samuel 28:9 NKJV

Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 2 Kings 21:6 NKJV

Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, 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. 2 Kings 23:24 NKJV

Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 2 Chronicles 33:6 NKJV

And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19 NKJV

The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. Isaiah 19:3 NKJV

What can we learn in the Bible about familiar spirits? Eugence Peterson paraphrases it well:

“Don’t dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you’ll pollute your souls. I am God, your God. Leviticus 19:31 MSG

So throw out those Ouija Boards, stop listening to mediums, and walk past the psychic medium shop. Do not enter the world of the occult.