Exodus 22:18 Study Bible: "You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

◄ Exodus 22:18 ►

You must not allow a sorceress to live.

You must not allow a sorceress to live
You must not
This phrase establishes a clear and direct command from God, emphasizing the seriousness and non-negotiable nature of the instruction. In Hebrew, the phrase is "לֹא תְחַיֶּה" (lo techayeh), which translates to "you shall not let live." The use of the imperative form underscores the authority of God’s law and the expectation of obedience from the Israelites. This command reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where adherence to His laws is a demonstration of faithfulness and reverence.

allow
The Hebrew verb "תְחַיֶּה" (techayeh) means "to let live" or "to preserve life." In this context, it implies an active decision to prevent the continuation of life for those who practice sorcery. The use of this verb highlights the responsibility of the community to uphold God's standards and to actively participate in the eradication of practices that are deemed abominable and contrary to His will.

a sorceress
The term "מְכַשֵּׁפָה" (mekhashephah) refers specifically to a female practitioner of sorcery or witchcraft. In the ancient Near Eastern context, sorcery was associated with attempts to manipulate spiritual forces through incantations, spells, and other occult practices. Such activities were seen as direct affronts to the sovereignty of God, as they sought power and knowledge apart from Him. The feminine form here may reflect the cultural context where women were often associated with these practices, though the broader biblical prohibition extends to all who engage in sorcery.

to live
The phrase "to live" (חָיָה, chayah) in Hebrew signifies more than mere existence; it encompasses thriving and flourishing within the community. By stating that a sorceress must not be allowed to live, the text underscores the severity of the offense and the necessity of removing such influences to protect the spiritual and moral integrity of the community. This reflects the biblical principle that sin and practices contrary to God’s law must be addressed decisively to maintain holiness among God’s people.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the Law from God, including the commandment in Exodus 22:18.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, to whom the laws in Exodus were given as they journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land.

3. Sorceress
A woman who practices sorcery or witchcraft, which was strictly forbidden in Israelite society as it was seen as a rebellion against God.

4. Mount Sinai
The place where Moses received the Law from God, including the commandments found in Exodus 22.

5. Canaan
The land promised to the Israelites, where they were to establish a society based on God's laws, free from pagan practices like sorcery.

Teaching Points

Understanding the Context
The command in Exodus 22:18 must be understood within the context of ancient Israel, where sorcery was associated with idolatry and rebellion against God.

God's Holiness and Purity
The prohibition against sorcery underscores God's desire for His people to be holy and set apart, avoiding practices that lead them away from Him.

The Danger of Sorcery
Sorcery is seen as a direct challenge to God's authority and a reliance on powers other than God, which is why it was so severely punished.

Modern-Day Applications
While the cultural context has changed, the principle remains: Christians are called to avoid practices that draw them away from God and to rely solely on Him for guidance and power.

Spiritual Warfare
Believers are reminded that there is a spiritual battle, and they must be vigilant against influences that oppose God's will, using the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel help us interpret Exodus 22:18 today?

2. In what ways can modern Christians encounter forms of "sorcery" or occult practices, and how should they respond?

3. How do the prohibitions against sorcery in the Old Testament relate to the New Testament teachings on spiritual warfare?

4. What are some practical steps believers can take to ensure they are relying on God's power rather than any form of occult or worldly power?

5. How can the account of Saul and the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28 serve as a warning for us today about seeking guidance outside of God?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Leviticus 19:31
This verse warns against turning to mediums and spiritists, reinforcing the prohibition against sorcery.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
These verses expand on the types of occult practices forbidden by God, including divination and witchcraft.

1 Samuel 28
The account of Saul consulting the witch of Endor, illustrating the consequences of seeking guidance outside of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
Lists sorcery as one of the works of the flesh, contrasting it with the fruit of the Spirit.

Acts 19:19
Describes new believers in Ephesus burning their books of magic, showing repentance and rejection of sorcery.

Sermons

Spiritualism -- Modern Witchcraft	J. W. Burn.	Exodus 22:18
Abominations	J. Orr	Exodus 22:16-21

People

Moses

Places

Mount Sinai

Topics

Alive, Allow, Arts, Death, Permit, Powers, Secret, Sorceress, Suffer, Unnatural, Using, Witch

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Exodus 22:18

     4132   demons, malevolence
     4155   divination
     4185   sorcery and magic

Exodus 22:18-20

5025 killing

Library

Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle Xl. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. The Piety of my Lords in their most serene commands, while set on refuting me on certain matters, in sparing me has by no means spared me. For by the use therein of the term simplicity they politely call me silly. It is true indeed that in Holy Scripture, when simplicity is spoken of in a good sense, it is often carefully associated with prudence and uprightness. Hence it is written of the blessed Job, The man was simple and upright (Job i. 1). …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Summary of the Christian Life. Of Self-Denial.
The divisions of the chapter are,--I. The rule which permits us not to go astray in the study of righteousness, requires two things, viz., that man, abandoning his own will, devote himself entirely to the service of God; whence it follows, that we must seek not our own things, but the things of God, sec. 1, 2. II. A description of this renovation or Christian life taken from the Epistle to Titus, and accurately explained under certain special heads, sec. 3 to end. 1. ALTHOUGH the Law of God contains …
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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