What is meant by "familiar spirits" in Isaiah 19:3, 29:4?

What is meant by "familiar spirits" in Isaiah 19:3, 29:4?

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Isaiah 19:3:

3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. [KJV]

3 And emptied out hath been in its midst the spirit of Egypt. And its counsel I swallow up, And they have sought unto the idols, And unto the charmers, And unto those having familiar spirits, And unto the wizards. [YLT]

3 Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confuse their strategy,
So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead, And to mediums and spiritists. [NASB]

3 and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel;
and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; [ESV]

Isaiah 29:4:

4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. [KJV]

4 And thou hast been low, From the earth thou speakest, And from the dust makest thy saying low, And thy voice hath been from the earth, As one having a familiar spirit, And from the dust thy saying whisperest, [YLT]

4 Then you will be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground,
And your speech will whisper from the dust. [NASB]

And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak, and from the dust your speech will be bowed down; your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost, and from the dust your speech shall whisper. [ESV]

What is a familiar spirit/ghost of the dead/spirit from the ground? Also: what is the reason for the different expressions used by different translations? Do all translations capture equally well the intended meaning of the original author?

3 Comments

  • Reply July 27, 2023

    Anonymous

    John Mushenhouse not that Philip Williams or Dan Anthony would know…

    • Reply July 27, 2023

      Anonymous

      Troy Day spirits of departed family(familiar).

  • Reply July 27, 2023

    Anonymous

    Amen

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