King James Bible Dictionary

Of false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Samuel 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Samuel 6:2), of Balaam (Joshua 13:22). Three kinds of divination are mentioned in Ezekiel 21:21, by arrows, consulting with images (the teraphim), and by examining the entrails of animals sacrificed. The practice of this art seems to have been encouraged in ancient Egypt. Diviners also abounded among the aborigines of Canaan and the Philistines (Isaiah 2:6; 1 Samuel 28). At a later period multitudes of magicians poured from Chaldea and Arabia into the land of Israel, and pursued their occupations (Isaiah 8:19; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6). This superstition widely spread, and in the time of the apostles there were "vagabond Jews, exorcists" (Acts 19:13), and men like Simon Magus (Acts 8:9), Bar-jesus (13:6, 8), and other jugglers and impostors (19:19; 2 Timothy 3:13). Every species and degree of this superstition was strictly forbidden by the law of Moses (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10, 11).

But beyond these various forms of superstition, there are instances of divination on record in the Scriptures by which God was pleased to make known his will.

1. There was divination by lot, by which, when resorted to in matters of moment, and with solemnity, God intimated his will (Joshua 7:13). The land of Canaan was divided by lot (Numbers 26:55, 56); Achan's guilt was detected (Joshua 7:16-19), Saul was elected king (1 Samuel 10:20, 21), and Matthias chosen to the apostleship, by the solem lot (Acts 1:26). It was thus also that the scape-goat was determined (Leviticus 16:8-10).

2. There was divination by dreams (Genesis 20:6; Deuteronomy 13:1, 3; Judges 7:13, 15; Matthew 1:20; 2:12, 13, 19, 22). This is illustrated in the history of Joseph (Genesis 41:25-32) and of Daniel (2:27; 4:19-28).

3. By divine appointment there was also divination by the Urim and Thummim (Numbers 27:21), and by the ephod.

4. God was pleased sometimes to vouch-safe direct vocal communications to men (Deuteronomy 34:10; Exodus 3:4; 4:3; Deuteronomy 4:14, 15; 1 Kings 19:12). He also communed with men from above the mercy-seat (Exodus 25:22), and at the door of the tabernacle (Exodus 29:42, 43).

5. Through his prophets God revealed himself, and gave intimations of his will (2 Kings 13:17; Jeremiah 51:63, 64).

See Sorcery
Sorcery

is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [TERAPHIM]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by dreams, (13:2,3; Judges 7:13; Jeremiah 23:32) consultation of oracles. (Isaiah 41:21-24; 44:7) Moses forbade every species of divination, because a prying into the future clouds the mind with superstition, and because it would have been an incentive to idolatry. But God supplied his people with substitutes for divination which would have rended it superfluous, and left them in no doubt as to his will in circumstances of danger, had they continued faithful. It was only when they were unfaithful that the revelation was withdrawn. (1 Samuel 28:6; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:23) etc. Superstition not unfrequently goes hand in hand with skepticism, and hence, amid the general infidelity prevalent throughout the Roman empire at our Lord's coming, imposture was rampant. Hence the lucrative trade of such men as Simon Magus, (Acts 8:9) Bar-jesus, (Acts 13:6) the slave with the spirit of Python, (Acts 16:16) the vagabond jews, exorcists, (Luke 11:19; Acts 19:13) and others, (2 Timothy 3:13; Revelation 19:20) etc., as well as the notorious dealers in magical books at Ephesus. (Acts 19:19)

DIVINATION, noun [Latin , to foretell. See Divine.]

1. The act of divining; a foretelling future events, or discovering things secret or obscure, by the aid of superior beings, or by other than human means. The ancient heathen philosophers divided divination into two kinds, natural and artificial. Natural divination was supposed to be effected by a kind of inspiration or divine afflatus; artificial divination was effected by certain rites, experiments or observations, as by sacrifices, cakes, flour, wine, observation of entrails, flight of birds, lots, verses, omens, position of the stars, etc.

2. Conjectural presage; prediction.