Quick Definition
βασκαίνω v. I give the evil eye to, fascinate, bewitch, overpower
Strong's Definition
akin to 5335; to malign, i.e. (by extension) to fascinate (by false representations)
KJV Usage: bewitch
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb
53.98 · Religious Activities · Magic
to bewitch, to practice magic on to bewitch a person, frequently by use of the evil eye and with evil intent βασκαίνω[a] differs from μαγεύω to practice magic (53.96) in that the former involves the use of so-called black magic, but for a different interpretation of βασκαίνω in GAL 3:1, see 88.159.
88.159 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Mislead, Lead Astray, Deceive
to deceive, to bewitch, to beguile to deceive a person by devious and crafty means, with the possibility of a religious connotation in view of the literal meaning ‘to bewitch’ (see 53.98) It is also possible that βασκαίνω in GAL 3:1 is to be understood literally in the sense of bewitching by means of black magic (see 53.98).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
βασκαίνω baskainō 1x
pr. to slander; thence, to bewitch by spells, or by any other means; to delude, Gal. 3:1*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
βασκαίνω,
[in LXX: De 28:54, 56 (רעע), Si 14:6, 8*;]
to slander (Dem.).
to blight by the evil eye, to fascinate, bewitch: Ga 3:1.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
βασκαίνω. The popular belief in the power of the evil eye (cf. Deut 28°, Sir 14% 8), underlying the Pauline metaphor in Gal 33, is well illustrated by the common formulas in closing greetings, e.g. P Oxy II. 29212 (c. a.p. 25) (= Selections, p. 38) mpd δὲ πάντων ὑγιάνειν (= -alverv) σε εὔχ[ο]μαι ἀβασκάντως τὰ ἄριστα πράττων, ‘but above all I pray that you may be in health unharmed by the evil Cf. the opening salutation in BGU ΠῚ. 811% (between a.p. 98 and 103) πρὼ (7. ε. πρὸ) μὲν πάντων ἀναγκαῖον δι᾽ ἐπιστολῆς] σε ἀσπάσεσθαι καὶ τὰ ἀβάσκαντα [δ]οῦ[ν]αι. For the subst. βασκανία (as Wisd 412) cf. the new compound προβασκανία in the vi/A.p. Christian amulet edited by Wilcken Archiv 1. p- 431 ff. (= Selections, Ρ- 132ff)—7™ ὅπως διώξῃς ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ τοῦ δούλου cov τὸν δαίμονα προβασκανίας, “that thou mayst drive from me thy servant the demon of witchcraft.” The adj. βάσκανος is found in Vettius Valens, pp. 22, 358°, and in Jos PE i. 2231 (Minns, p. 644) ὑπὸ τοῦ βασκάνου δαίμονος ἀφῃρέθη. The relation of the word to the certainly identical Lat. Sascinum is accounted for by the consideration that a word of magic was likely to be borrowed by Greek from Thracian or Illyrian, where original 64 (Lat. /) passed into ὁ : see Walde Lat. etym. Worterbuch, s.v.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
βασκαίνω (baskainō) — to bewitch. βασκ-αίνω, future -ᾰνῶ[LXX]: aorist ἐβάσκηνα [Refs 2nd c.AD+] Philostratus Sophista (see. below), -ᾱνα [Refs 4th c.BC+] —passive, aorist ἐβασκάνθην (see. below):—bewitch by the evil eye, etc., [NT+4th c.BC+]:—passive, ὡς μὴ βασκανθῶσι [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. with accusative, malign, disparage, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιτέχνων βασκανθῆναι [Refs 1st c.BC+]
II.2. with dative, envy, grudge, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τινί τινος grudge one a thing, [Refs 1st c.AD+]keep to oneself, [Refs]
II.3. with accusative et infinitive, μὴ βασκήνας γελάσαι καὶ ἄλλον [Refs 2nd c.AD+]