    "WITCH" as defined in the Bible:

 Please give the Greek and/or Aramaic word used 
 that was translated in the King James Version
 as "Witch." Then let us translate it fully.
 You will find it means "a poisoner of wells."

WRONG!  You will find no such thing.  (It seems that I have to correct 
THIS error about once every six months.)

HEBREW: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shows seven references to the 
words "witch," "witchcraft," and "witchcrafts."  It identifies three 
words as receiving that translation.

Two of them are the same root word: kashaph and kesheph.  Strong's 
observes that the proper translation for kashaph is "to whisper" as in 
to whisper or mutter a spell.  If they are correct, then perhaps the 
best possible modern translations would be "enchanter" and 
"enchantments" (from "chant").  In this context, Exodus 22:18 would 
read, "Thou shalt not permit an enchanter to live."  

The remaining word is used only once, and that is qecem, which Strong's 
identifies as derived from qacem, which means to determine by drawing 
lots.  They give the translation, based on this, as being "divination" 
as in to read random elements such as tarot cards.  By this context, I 
Samuel 15:23 would read, "For rebellion is as the sin of divination."
GREEK:  According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word "witch" 
does not appear in the KJV New Testament; the word "witchcraft" appears 
once in Galations 5:20.  In that verse the Greek given is indeed the 
much-mistranslated word pharmakeia.  Strong's gives its derivation as 
being from pharmakeus, which means potion.  The word pharmakeus does not 
appear anywhere in Greek literature to refer to "poison" except--and 
there only if you really stretch it--in the trial of Paracelsus, the 
father of modern medicine.

In early Greek thought, a physik was an herbal remedy, and was 
perscribed by physicians, or respected doctors.  (Yes, early Greek 
doctors were exclusively herbalists.)  A conflicting school of thought 
claimed that pharmakeoi, or potions derived from non-living matter, 
might also have effect in some diseases.  So in Galations 5:20, Paul is 
telling us that those who use chemical potions (such as aspirin or 
Tylenol) to cure diseases or disease symptoms are accursed of God.
In conclusion: the Greek New Testament nowhere refers to anything 
resembling the modern religion or practices of Witchcraft.  (Although it 
is interesting to note that the first 11 apostles practiced something 
roughly like qacem to pick a 12th--and if the later accounts are to be 
read correctly, came up with a wrong answer.)  The Hebrew Old Testament, 
on the other hand, contains many unambiguous prohibitions of magical 
practices, including (but not limited to) chanting of spells and 
divination from random elements.

(Reference: James Strong ed., _Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the 
Bible_, 1894, as published by Abingdon Press, 1975.)

                                  -Brad Hicks

