Original Word: אַשָּׁף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ashshaph
Pronunciation: ah-shaf'
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-shawf')
NASB: conjurers, conjurer
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H825 (אַשָּׁף - conjurers)]

1. astrologer

astrologer

(Aramaic) corresponding to 'ashshaph -- astrologer.

see HEBREW 'ashshaph

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to ashshaph
Definition
a conjurer, enchanter
NASB Translation
conjurer (1), conjurers (5).

אָשַׁף (K§ a) noun masculine conjurer, enchanter (probably Babylonian Loan-word; so Biblical Hebrew אַשָּׁף); — absolute ׳אDaniel 2:10; plural absolute אָֽשְׁפִין Daniel 2:27; Daniel 5:11, emphatic אָֽשְׁפַיָא Daniel 4:4; Daniel 5:7,15.

Identity and Social Setting

אַשָּׁף (ashshaf, plural ashshaphim) designates a particular cadre of court specialists in Babylon who practiced occult arts—ritual magic, incantation, dream‐interpretation, and divination. They appear in the Book of Daniel as members of the broader circle of “wise men” summoned by kings for supernatural insight. Their presence reflects the highly stratified advisory culture of Mesopotamian courts, where political decisions and imperial propaganda were routinely buttressed by omens and esoteric counsel.

Occurrences in Daniel

1. Daniel 2:10 exposes the limits of ashshaphim when they confess that interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s forgotten dream is beyond all human skill.
2. Daniel 2:27 records Daniel’s answer to the king: “No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about”.
3. Daniel 4:7 recounts their inability to decode Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream.
4. Daniel 5:7, Daniel 5:11, and Daniel 5:15 show their failure to read the handwriting on Belshazzar’s wall, culminating in Daniel’s elevation over them.

Contrast with Daniel’s God‐Given Wisdom

At every appearance ashshaphim are juxtaposed with Daniel, whose insight comes “from the God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:28). The narrative structure repeatedly underscores:
• Human occultism proves impotent before divine revelation.
• True wisdom is inseparable from reverence for the LORD (see Proverbs 9:10).
• God sovereignly places His faithful servants in pagan contexts to display His supremacy.

Historical and Cultural Background

Babylonian texts (e.g., the Akkadian āšipu) describe professional exorcists who used ritual formulae to avert evil. Their toolkit included dream manuals, celestial omens, and incantation bowls. Kings kept such experts on retainer not merely for curiosity but as state security; cosmic portents were thought to threaten the throne. The Book of Daniel accurately mirrors this milieu: Ashshaphim stand among “magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and diviners” (Daniel 4:7), forming a multidisciplinary advisory guild.

Theological Significance

1. Revelation versus Manipulation – Scripture contrasts God’s gracious self‐disclosure with mankind’s attempt to coerce hidden knowledge. The impotence of ashshaphim affirms the uniqueness of prophetic revelation.
2. Sovereign Judgment – Their failures prepare the reader for God’s judgment on proud empires; Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel 5) becomes an enacted parable of occult futility before impending doom.
3. Foreshadowing Christ – Daniel, vindicated before the court experts, prefigures a greater Revealer whose wisdom surpasses the sages of the age (compare Colossians 2:3).

Practical Ministry Insights

• Discernment: The fascination with alternate spiritualities persists; pastors must shepherd congregations toward Christ as the exclusive source of truth.
• Courage in Vocation: Daniel models faithful engagement without compromise, offering a template for believers serving within secular institutions.
• Prayer and Proclamation: Daniel 2 highlights intercessory prayer preceding public testimony—essential for any ministry that confronts worldview errors.

Connections to the New Testament

The New Testament echoes Daniel’s theme: magicians like Simon in Acts 8:9–24 abandon sorcery when confronted with apostolic authority, and occult scrolls are burned in Ephesus (Acts 19:19). The pattern reiterates the verdict rendered against the ashshaphim—Christ’s kingdom tolerates no rival source of ultimate wisdom.

Summary

The ashshaphim embody the pinnacle of pagan intellectualism and spiritual artifice, yet they collapse before the penetrating word of God. Their account in Daniel challenges every generation to renounce occult substitutes and to trust the Lord who “reveals deep and hidden things” (Daniel 2:22).

אָֽשְׁפִ֗ין אָֽשְׁפַיָּ֔א אשפיא אשפין וְאָשַׁ֥ף ואשף לְאָ֣שְׁפַיָּ֔א לאשפיא ’ā·šə·p̄ay·yā ’ā·šə·p̄în ’āšəp̄ayyā ’āšəp̄în ashefaiYa asheFin lə’āšəp̄ayyā lə·’ā·šə·p̄ay·yā leAshefaiYa veaShaf wə’āšap̄ wə·’ā·šap̄Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts