אוֹב

1. skin-bottle, only plural אֹבוֺת חֲדָשִׁים new (wine-) skins Job 32,19.

2. necromancer, in phrase אוֺב אוֺ יִדְּעֹנִי necromancer or wizard 3 Mos 20,27 (H; usually translated 'a man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard' RV; but better a man or a woman, if there should be among them, a necromancer or wizard; no sufficient reason for exceptional use of phrase here); וְיִדְּעֹנִי ׳א 5 Mos 18,11; 2 Kron 33,6 = 2 Kong 21,6 (where וידענים ׳א); הָאֹבוֺת וְהַיִּדְּעֹנִים 3 Mos 19,31; 3 Mos 20,6 (H) 1 Sam 28,3; 1 Sam 28,9; 2 Kong 23,24; Es 8,19 (where repres. as chirping & muttering, in practice of their art of seeking dead for instruction, probably ventriloquism, & so ᵐ5) Es 19,3.

3. ghost, Es 29,4 וְהָיָה כְּאוֺב מֵאֶרֶץ קוֺלֵח וּמֵעָפָר אִמְרָתֵח תְּצַפְצֵף and thy voice shall be as a ghost from the ground and from the dust thy speech shall chirp (so Ge MV Ew De Che and others, but chirping might be of necromancer, as Es 8,19).

4. necromancy אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַתאֿוֺב a woman who was mistress of necromancy 1 Sam 28,7 (twice in verse); (> RS^{JPh xiv, 127 f makes} אוֺב primarily a subterranean spirit, and significant.

2. only an abbreviation of ׳בעלתא etc.); קסם בּאוֺב divine by necromancy 1 Sam 28,8, which seems to be interpretation of 1 Kron 10,13 ׳שׁאל בא inquire by necromancy. (In these three examples אוֺב is usually interpreted as ghost or familiar spirit conceived as dwelling in necromancer; but this apparently not the ancient conception.)