Soothsaying <1,,3132, manteuomai>
"to divine, practice divination" (from mantis, "a seer, diviner"), occurs in Act 16:16. The word is allied to mainomai, "to rave," and mania, "fury" displayed by those who were possessed by the evil spirit (represented by the pagan god or goddess) while delivering their oracular messages. Trench (Syn. vi) draws a distinction between this verb and propheteuo, not only as to their meanings, but as to the fact of the single occurrence of manteuomai in the NT, contrasted with the frequency of propheteuo, exemplifying the avoidance by NT writers of words the employment of which "would tend to break down the distinction between heathenism and revealed religion."
