BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Wizard

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G3097

μάγος

magos — sage

μάγος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX for אַשָּׁף, Dan LXX TH Dan.2:2, 10, al. (cf. chief magian, Jer.39:3, 13) ;] 1. one of the Μάγοι, a Median tribe (Hat). 2. a Magian, one of a sacred caste, originally Median, who seem to have conformed to the Persian religion, while retaining some of their old beliefs (see DB, I vol., 565 f.; DB, iii, 203 ff.): Mat.2:1, 7 2:16 3. a wizard, sorcerer: Act.13:6, 8 (cf. Wis.17:7, Act.8:9; ?Act.8:1).† (AS)

5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G1114

γόης

goēs — imposter

γόης, -ητος, ὁ (γοάω, to wail), 1. a wailer. 2. a wizard. 3. an impostor (cf. γοητεία, trickery, 2Ma.12:24): 2Ti.3:13. † (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

A pretender to supernatural knowledge and power, “a knowing one,” as the original Hebrew word signifies. Such an one was forbidden on pain of death to practise his deceptions (Lev. 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam. 28:3; Isa. 8:19; 19:3).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Wizard in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →