certain enigmatic Aramean, who is understood by Balak, king of Moab, to be a man who wields
the dark magic ability to curse as well as the benevolent capacity to bless (22:6). Balak seems to
assume that Balaam is a qosem (Num 22:7) since he brings him either the ,,fee for qesamim
In the Balaam pericope qosem is also associated with one of the other terms in the Deut 18 list:
nachash, another term normally associated with divination. In fact, it is stated that there is no
nachash and no qesem against Israel (Num 23.23). From this it shows that not only qosem but
nachesh also go beyond a typical understanding of divination that also includes black magic.
Finally, to round out the survey of the phrase qosem qesamim, there is the instance of Sauls
using it in the episode where he meets the witch of Endor. In 1 Sam 28.8, Saul uses qosemim to
refer to the conjuring up the spirit of the dead.
For the above reasons McConville is correct to conclude that in the Deut 18 list qosem qesamim
probably acts as the ,,umbrella term for the terms that follow it.
The remaining terms encompass varying degrees of divination, magic, and spiritism.
day of Yahweh, among other things, for practicing `onennim ,,like the Philistines.
The next term in the list, menachesh, was mentioned above in connection with the Balaam
pericope. It is also found in Gen 30.27 where it states that Laben has learned by nachash that
Yahweh has blessed him because of Jacob. More famously it is found in the Joseph saga. When
the brothers are brought before Joseph he derides them for not taking into account that he is a
man with access to knowledge through nachash (Gen 44.15).
The term mekhashef, is found in Exod 7.11 in the dramatic encounter between Moses and
Pharaoh. In this instance Pharaoh has asked for a miracle in order to be convinced that Moses
and Aaron are speaking for Yahweh. Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes a snake.
Pharaoh then summons his wisemen and mekhashefim who successfully imitate Aarons miracle.
It is also found in places like Dan 2:2, to describe the list of magicians and diviners in the court
of Nebuchadnezzar.
Keshef is also found with the next term chever in a prophecy against Babylon in Isa 47:9, 12
Yahweh has reckoned that Babylon is so arrogant and lacking in mercy that they will be judged.
distinguishes the terms from one another, either in the Hebrew or the LXX in J. W. Wevers, Notes on the Greek Text
of Deuteronomy (SBL Septuagint and Cognate Studies Series; ed. B. A. Taylor; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995) 298.