Charm in the Bible

Charmers and Charismatic movement exposed!

CHARM [ISBE]

CHARM - charm: Definition.--The word charm is derived from the Latin carmen, "a song," and denotes strictly what is sung; then it comes to mean a magical formula chanted or recited with a view to certain desired results. Charm is distinguished from amulet in this, that the latter is a material object having as such a magical potency, though it is frequently an inscribed formula on it that gives this object its power (see AMULET). The word charm stands primarily for the incantation, though it is often applied to an inscribed amulet.

A charm may be regarded as having a positive or a negative effect. In the first case it is supposed to secure some desired object or result (see AMULET). In the second, it is conceived as having the power of warding off evils, as the evil eye, the inflictions of evil spirits and the like. In the last, its negative meaning, the word "countercharm" (German, Gegenzauber) is commonly used.

Charms are divisible into two general classes according as they are written (or printed) or merely spoken:

(1) Written charms--Of these we have examples in the phylacteries and the mezuzah noticed in the article AMULET.

In Acts 19:13-20 we read of written charms used by the Ephesians, such as are elsewhere called (ephesia grammata). Such magical formulas were written generally on leather, though sometimes on papyrus, on lead, and even on gold. Those mentioned in the above passage must have been inscribed on some very valuable material, gold perhaps, or they could not have cost 2,000 British pounds (= 50,000 drachmas). Charms of the kind have been dug up from the ruins of Ephesus.

In modern Egypt drinking-bowls are used, inscribed with passages from the Koran, and it is considered very lucky to drink from such a "lucky bowl," as it is called.

Parts of the Koran and often complete miniature copies are worn by Egyptians and especially by Egyptian soldiers during war. These are buried with the dead bodies, just as the ancient Egyptians interred with their dead portions of the Book of the Dead or even the whole book, and as the early Abyssinians buried with dead bodies certain magical texts. Josephus (Ant., VIII, ii, 5) says that Solomon composed incantations by which demons were exorcised and diseases healed.

(2) Spoken charms are at least as widespread as those inscribed.

Much importance was attached by the ancients (Egyptians, Babylonians, etc.) to the manner in which the incantations were recited, as well as to the substance of the formulas.

If beautifully uttered, and with sufficient frequency, such incantations possessed unlimited power. The stress laid on the mode of reciting magical charms necessitated the existence of a priestly class and did much to increase the power of such a class.

The binding force of the uttered word is implied in many parts of the Old Testament (see Josh 9:20). Though the princes of Israel had promised under false pretenses to make a covenant on behalf of Israel with the Gibeonites, they refused to break their promise because the word had been given. The words of blessing and curse were believed to have in themselves the power of self-realization.

A curse was a means of destruction, not a mere realization (see Nu 22 through 24, Balaam's curses; Jdg 5:23; Job 31).

In a similar way the word of blessing was believed to insure its own realization.
In Gen 48:8-22 the greatness of Ephraim and Manasseh is ascribed to the blessing of Jacob upon them (see further Ex 12:32; Jdg 17:2; 2 Sam 21:3). It is no doubt to be understood that the witch of Endor raised Samuel from the dead by the recitation of some magical formula (1 Sam 28:7 ff).

The uttering of the tetragrammaton (~YHWH] was at a very early time (at latest 300 BC) believed to be magically potent, and hence, its ordinary use was forbidden, so that instead of Yahweh, the Jews of the time, when the earliest part of the Septuagint was translated, used for this Divine name the appellative 'adhonai = "Lord."

In a similar way among the Jews of post-Biblical and perhaps of even Biblical times, the pronunciation of the Aaronic blessing (Nu 6:24-26) was supposed to possess great efficacy and to be a means of certain good to the person or persons involved.

Evil spirits were exorcised by Jews of Paul's day through the use of the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:13).

In the Talmud (Pecachim 110a) it is an instruction that if a man meets a witch he should say, "May a pot of boiling dung be stuffed into your mouth, you ugly witch," and her power is gone.

For literature see AMULET.
T. Witton Davies

Isa 3:20 headdresses, ankle ornaments, sashes, sachets, - (houses of breath, scent bottles, perfume boxes) amulets,
sachets, - (houses of breath, mouthful of air, - sky, look, manner, appearance, tone, flavor, impression, way of being, tune, melody, song, aerate, ventilate, freshen, expose, declare, express, vent, make public, proclaim, reveal, publicize, spread, circulate, tell, announce, broadcast, suppress, hold back, repress, stifle, restrain, contain, curb, stem, smother, check, keep in check, control, block out, cover up, hide, conceal, keep inside, bottle up, express, hush up, muffle, censor, squelch, smother, squash, quash, stifle, kill, sit on, put the lid on, overpower, overwhelm, overturn, conquer, defeat, destroy, subdue, quash, quell, crush, put down, clamp down on, crack down on, take firm action on, take tough action on, come down heavily on, curb, check, restrict, limit, control, dominate, submit, pant, gasp, breathing, lungful of air, inhalation, gulp of air, be winded, scent bottles, perfume boxes)

Isa 47:9 Both of these will come upon you suddenly, in one day! You will lose your children and be widowed. You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, (according to their fullness they will come upon you) despite your many incantations and your numerous amulets. (Incantations and amulets used to ward of danger or demons)
Isa 47:12 Persist in trusting your amulets and your many incantations, which you have faithfully recited (in that which you have toiled) since your youth! Maybe you will be successful (maybe you will be able to profit) – maybe you will scare away disaster. (maybe you will cause to tremble)

Isaiah 47 (King James Version)


1Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

2Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

3Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

4As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

5Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

6I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

7And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

8Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

9But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

10For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

11Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

12Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

13Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

14Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

15Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Isaiah 47 (The Message)

The Party's Over

1-3 "Get off your high horse and sit in the dirt, virgin daughter of Babylon.
No more throne for you—sit on the ground,
daughter of the Chaldeans.
Nobody will be calling you 'charming'
and 'alluring' anymore. Get used to it.
Get a job, any old job:
Clean gutters, scrub toilets.
Hock your gowns and scarves,
put on overalls—the party's over.
Your nude body will be on public display,
exposed to vulgar taunts.
It's vengeance time, and I'm taking vengeance.
No one gets let off the hook.

You're Acting Like the Center of the Universe


4-13Our Redeemer speaks,
named God-of-the-Angel-Armies, The Holy of Israel:
"Shut up and get out of the way,
daughter of Chaldeans.
You'll no longer be called
'First Lady of the Kingdoms.'
I was fed up with my people,
thoroughly disgusted with my progeny.
I turned them over to you,
but you had no compassion.
You put old men and women
to cruel, hard labor.
You said, 'I'm the First Lady.
I'll always be the pampered darling.'
You took nothing seriously, took nothing to heart,
never gave tomorrow a thought.
Well, start thinking, playgirl.
You're acting like the center of the universe,
Smugly saying to yourself, 'I'm Number One. There's nobody but me.
I'll never be a widow, I'll never lose my children.'
Those two things are going to hit you both at once,
suddenly, on the same day:
Spouse and children gone, a total loss,
despite your many enchantments and charms.
You were so confident and comfortable in your evil life,
saying, 'No one sees me.'
You thought you knew so much, had everything figured out.
What delusion!
Smugly telling yourself, 'I'm Number One. There's nobody but me.'
Ruin descends—
you can't charm it away.
Disaster strikes—
you can't cast it off with spells.
Catastrophe, sudden and total—
and you're totally at sea, totally bewildered!
But don't give up. From your great repertoire
of enchantments there must be one you haven't yet tried.
You've been at this a long time.
Surely something will work.
I know you're exhausted trying out remedies,
but don't give up.
Call in the astrologers and stargazers.
They're good at this. Surely they can work up something!


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God Bless You! In Christ Jesus!