Encyclopedia entry
Charmer
One who practises serpent-charming (Ps. 58:5; Jer. 8:17; Eccl. 10:11). It was an early and universal opinion that the most venomous reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by sweet sounds. It is well known that there are jugglers in India and in other Eastern lands who practise this art at the present day.
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In Isa. 19:3 the word “charmers” is the rendering of the Hebrew ’ittim, meaning, properly, necromancers (R.V. marg., “whisperers”). In Deut. 18:11 the word “charmer” means a dealer in spells, especially one who, by binding certain knots, was supposed thereby to bind a curse or a blessing on its object. In Isa. 3:3 the words “eloquent orator” should be, as in the Revised Version, “skilful enchanter.”
In the Bible
3
Verses where Charmer is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- Deuteronomy 18:11
casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.
- Ecclesiastes 10:11
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
- Psalms 58:5
refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.
Charmer references
1
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.