Summary of Scripture Words.
Divination

Divination

The meaning of the word used is often translated as "enchanter," "enchantment" or "soothsayings." "Divination" is basically a word which attempts to locate or discern the events which are in the distant times or space. It could be used in association with a person who has clairvoyant gifts without agreeing with the clairvoyant action.

This means that Balaam was a diviner as well as being inspired by God,

"And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. "

The person offering divination is condemned and accused of lying in:-
Ezekiel 13:6,7

"6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?"

Divination is condemned for the people of God,
Deuteronomy 18:9-13.

"9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. "

Unfortunately the Israelites did not do this, see 2 Kings 17;17

"17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."

The nations around Israel often used divination and this was taken up by the Israelites, many were false prophets.
Jeremiah 14:14

"Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."

There are many ways of divination, the following are found in the Bible:-

Rhabdomancy,

Sticks or arrows are thrown into the air, how they fell gave the divination answer.
Ezekiel 21:21.

"21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
23 And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken."

Hepatoscopy

The person examines liver or entrails of a sacrifice, and the markings were identified by the Priest.
Ezekiel 21:21.

"21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver."

Teraphim

Images of ancestors, a form of spiritualism.

Probably used in 1 Samuel 15:23.

"22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice."

Necromancy

To consult those who have departed.
2 Kings 21:5-7.

"5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:"

"11 A charmer, a consulter with familiar spirits, a wizard, or a necromancer(one who enquires of the dead)."

Astrology

They have the ability to draw ideas and the future from positions of sun, moon and planets. Still common today but now includes the stars etc.
There is no evidence that the wise men were astrologers, since they knew about the course of the new bright star.
Matthew 2:9,.

"9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. "

Hydromancy

The only real case found in the New Testament is in:-
Acts 16:16

"And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: "