Most people encounter this topic in one of two ways.
Either someone close to them has been drawn into practices the Bible calls off-limits: tarot readings, visits to psychics, dabbling in mediumship.
Or they have been there themselves, curious about what lies beyond the veil, looking for answers or a connection that the ordinary world was not providing.
In every case, the question underneath was the same: why does God forbid this so directly?
ESV “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)
This post answers that question directly: what these terms mean, what is actually being forbidden, why God forbids it, and what He offers instead.
The Verse and Its Immediate Setting
Leviticus 19 is the “Holiness Code,” one of the most practical chapters in the Old Testament.
It addresses theft, lying, honoring parents, leaving food for the poor, and treating foreigners with dignity.
The prohibition against mediums sits inside that list of everyday ethics: not a fringe concern but a daily-life matter.
The verse closes with “I am the LORD your God,” functioning as both identity and authority.
God is not offering a suggestion; He is speaking as the One who owns the territory being discussed.
What These Terms Actually Mean
The two forbidden categories carry specific Hebrew meanings that get flattened in translation.
The Medium: From the Hebrew Ob
The word translated “medium” or “familiar spirit” is the Hebrew ob (plural oboth), which literally means a leather bottle or a hollow vessel.
The image is of a container through which another voice speaks: a person whose body or voice became a channel for a spirit entity.
These practitioners claimed to summon the dead, communicate with deceased relatives, or relay messages from the spirit world.
They were common across Egypt, Babylon, and Canaan, and Israel was explicitly commanded to separate from them.
The Spiritist: From the Hebrew Yiddeoni
The yiddeoni (spiritist) comes from yada, “to know”: literally the knowing ones, people claiming hidden knowledge through spirit contact.
Both categories share the same assumption: that reliable guidance can be obtained through spiritual entities other than God.
What Necromancers Did
The most detailed example is 1 Samuel 28, where Saul visits the medium at Endor.
The account presents it as a catastrophic decision by a desperate king who had already lost access to God’s guidance and turned to the forbidden alternative.
Why God Forbids This Specifically
The prohibition is not arbitrary.
Every reason embedded in the verse, the surrounding context, and the broader teaching of Scripture points to a coherent theological foundation.
The Defilement Warning
Defilement in Leviticus is not about ritual impurity; it is about spiritual contamination that corrupts the covenant relationship with God.
To involve yourself with spiritual sources other than God is to bring something foreign into a space that belongs to Him exclusively.
The Sovereignty Claim
Isaiah 8:19 makes the point directly: “Should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
The question is not whether these practices produce any result, but to whom you are turning when you need wisdom you do not have.
God claims that routing guidance through any other spiritual channel is a fundamental misalignment of trust.
The Deception Risk
What presents itself as a deceased relative’s voice or enlightened guidance can be profound deception.
2 Corinthians 11:14 warns that Satan appears as an angel of light.
God forbids these practices partly to protect people from what feels real and is not.
The Relationship at Stake
Leviticus 20:6 intensifies the warning with the language of prostitution, the same word used for spiritual unfaithfulness throughout the Old Testament.
Seeking guidance from other spiritual sources is a form of spiritual infidelity: it damages the relationship with God, not just the practice.
Where This Shows Up Today
The ancient forms of mediumship and spiritism have not disappeared; they have rebranded.
Some people I have spoken with were genuinely surprised to learn that practices they considered harmless entertainment fell under this prohibition.
Psychics and Mediums
The contemporary psychic industry offers the same core service the ob provided in ancient Israel: contact with the deceased, revelation of hidden information, guidance about the future.
The packaging is modern; the underlying claim is identical.
Tarot and Divination
Tarot, ouija boards, and similar tools share the same functional assumption as the yiddeoni: that hidden knowledge is accessible through these channels.
Horoscopes and Astrology
Horoscopes occupy a softer end of the spectrum, but they belong in the same category in principle.
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 expands the prohibition to include “one who reads omens,” covering astrology.
The directional problem is the same.
The Common Thread
In every case, the question is the same: where do you go when you need guidance beyond your reach?
God’s instruction is that He is the answer to that need.
What God Offers Instead
The prohibition does not leave a vacuum; God forbids these alternatives precisely because He provides something better.
Direct Access Through Prayer
The invitation of Philippians 4:6 is for every need, including the need for wisdom and direction: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
James 1:5 makes it explicit: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”
The God who forbids mediums is the same God who says, Ask Me directly.
Revelation Through Scripture
Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
What God chooses to reveal He has revealed, accessible to anyone willing to read.
Community and Counsel
God’s provision for that kind of need includes community, godly counsel, and the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 11:14: Safety is found in an abundance of counselors.
These are incomparably more trustworthy than what a medium offers.
Questions People Actually Ask About Leviticus 19:31
Is consulting a psychic or medium really a big deal for Christians?
The Bible treats it as a significant matter. Leviticus 19:31 calls it defilement; Leviticus 20:6 intensifies the warning. The issue is not the intent of the person seeking guidance but the source being consulted: whether you are routing your need for answers toward God or away from Him.
What exactly is a “familiar spirit” in the Bible?
The Hebrew ob refers to a spirit entity claimed to speak through a human medium. “Familiar” in older English meant a spirit associated with a practitioner. These were entities presenting themselves as sources of knowledge or contact with the dead, not neutral forces.
Does this prohibition apply to watching TV shows about mediums or psychics?
Passive entertainment is different from active consultation. The prohibition targets seeking guidance and information from these sources. Watching a program is not the same as turning to a medium for wisdom. However, sustained interest in these practices as spiritually real and attractive is worth examining honestly.
Is Saul’s visit to the medium at Endor proof that mediums can actually contact the dead?
The 1 Samuel 28 account is debated: some scholars believe Samuel appeared by God’s permission; others see demonic impersonation. Either way, the account does not endorse mediumship. Saul’s consultation contributed to his downfall. The Bible presents it as a catastrophic failure, not a successful spiritual practice.
What about grieving people who visit mediums to hear from a deceased loved one?
Grief creates one of the most understandable motivations for seeking contact beyond death. God’s compassion is not in question. But the biblical answer to grief is the hope of resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s comfort, which provides something a medium cannot: truth that actually holds.
Does the New Testament maintain the same prohibition?
Yes. Galatians 5:20 lists witchcraft among the works of the flesh. Acts 16:16–18 shows Paul casting out a spirit of divination, treating it as demonic bondage requiring deliverance. The prohibition is consistent across both Testaments.
Turning Back to the True Source
Lord, I confess that there have been seasons when I wanted answers badly enough to look in wrong places.
Times when the future felt opaque and I reached for something that felt like certainty.
I know now that You are the One I should be reaching toward.
Not because You always answer the way I want, but because Your guidance is the only kind that is actually trustworthy.
I bring my questions to You.
My uncertainties, my desire to know what is ahead, my longing to hear from people I have lost.
You are the God who provides wisdom generously, who gives comfort that holds, who speaks through Your word and Your Spirit.
That is enough.
Amen.
Scholarly and Pastoral Sources
Wenham, G. J. (1979). The Book of Leviticus (New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Eerdmans.
Hartley, J. E. (1992). Leviticus (Word Biblical Commentary). Thomas Nelson.
Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (New American Commentary). Broadman and Holman.
GotQuestions.org. (n.d.). What does the Bible say about familiar spirits?
Bible Study Tools. (n.d.). Leviticus 19:31 commentary and cross-references.
Crosswalk.com. (n.d.). What does the Bible say about mediums and spiritists?
Christianity.com. (n.d.). Why does God forbid consulting mediums and familiar spirits?
(n.d.). What does Leviticus 19:31 mean? BibleRef Commentary Blog.
(n.d.). Leviticus 19:31 meaning and commentary. JCGM Bible Blog.
(n.d.). Leviticus 19:31 verse-by-verse commentary. StudyLight Commentary Blog.
Got Questions Ministries. (n.d.). Familiar spirits: what are they? GotQuestions Blog.
