In Jer 27^, D'T^'J, the practisers of the art, is translated 'your sorcerers' in AV and RV, while the LXX uses (fiap/xaKon- (Jer 34O). |The noun 1C'3 in Is 47». 12 is translated by 'sorceries (AV and RV), and by (fiap^ajcft'a in the LX.X; but in 2 K 922, llic 511('2), Nab 34 it is translated hy ' witchcrafts,' LXX tfo-ptioKov, where clearly the right translation is ' magic arts.' II But in Is 578 the phrase ■1);v '^2 is rendered in AV ond RV 'sons of the sorceress,' and in LX.X by viol at'o^oi. In Dn 1'20 22.10.27 44(7| 67.11-1' the word 1»'X, which is translated 'astrologers' in the AV, is rendered 'enchanters' in RV, and in the LX.X b) fLayoi. Herodotus (i. 101) uses this word to indi- cate the M:igi, one of the six tribes of the Medes, who were probably a s.acred priestly class, devoted to astrology, divina- tion by dreams, and the practice of magic generally.^ This ivord is applied by the writer of the First Gospel to the men frfim the F^st wlio visited the cradle of Jesus (.Mt 2i- "■ IS), but that incident throws no liy:bt either on their status, the rites which they practised, or the country from which they came.
In Ac 13"' * the name fiayoi is ajiplied to the Jew Bar -Jesus of Paphos. It is translated 'sorcerer' by AV and Motl'att, and also by the RV, with ' Magns ' in the margin. The further designation \{'(vSotrpo4>riTiis would indicate that he was by profession .a prognosticator, probably of fortunes or events, but this is the only liint given of his arts or pretensions." In Ac 8"- " Simon of S.amaria is spoken of as nayet'uv, and the art which lie practised is named ;ua7€iai. These are translated in A V and RV ' used sorcery ' and ' sorceries,' but Moll'att's translations, ' practised magic arts ' and ' skill in magic,' are much truer to the Greek and to the facts so far as we can judge. The writer of the Apocalypse, to describe a sin or set of sins, falls back on the LXX, and uses words connected with (papfiaKov. This word means a drug which can be given to a person, or used magically by one person on another to produce an etiect hurtful or tlie reverse. (papfiaKfia is the practice of this art, and <papiJ.aK6! is the ]iiactiti(uier. In the apostolic writings these are used in a bad .sense. In Rev 92' the unrepentant are grouped into those who have
• Exp, 8th ser.. vii. [1914| 21 ; The Booh 0/ Ser Marco Palo, tr. hv H. Yule'2, London, 1S76, i. 99, 108, 175, 178, 292, SOO, 339 ; ii. 309.
) Exp, 8th ser., vii. 24 ; EBi UL 2900.
! Exp, 8th sen, vii. 22, 23.
5 Exp, 8th ser., vu. 22 ; W. E. Smith, JPh xiii. (1884-85] 273 IT., xiv. (188.-)] 118.
1; Exp, 8th ser., vii. 2.'> ; EBi iii. 2900.
H HUB iii. 203; J. H. Moulton, Kartj/ Keligloiis Poetrn oj Pennn, Cambridge, 11)11, p. 75 ; 0. Maspero, The P<t8i,\i\q of the Empires, I.rf)ndon, 1900, pp. 452, 577, 595, 783. The Itabmag (Jer 3St^- 1-1) was probably the (or a) cliief of this tribe who may iiave been either the chief physician attached to the Court or, more prohalily, a high olllcial charged with the care of the horse and chariotry (see A. H. Sayce, 7')ic Ili'jher Criticiam mid the Vrntict of the 3!onrannitft, London, 1894, p. 456 ; Becorifjt 0/ the J'atl, 2n<i ser., ii. [London, 1S89) 1S2 ; C. H. W. Johns. Bahyloiuan aiul Afiiifrian Laws, Contracts, and Letters, Edinburgh, 1904, p. 376). ■
"" \V. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, London, 1895, p. 70.
620
SORROW
SOSTHEXES
not forsaken four vices, one of which is (pap/iaKela (the variant readings in this and the foUowing eases do not alleet the sense). The word is translated in AV and KV ' sorceries,' by Moli'att 'magic spell,' and by Weymouth ' practice of magic' The place of tlie word and the well-known custom of the time suggest that the true meaning, in con- formity with the original designation of the word, is 'poisoning.' In the condemnation of Babylon (Rev 18-^) it is said : 'all nations were seduced, if Tj tpap^aKcif.' This is translated in AV ' sorceries,' in KV ' sorcery,' by Moii'att ' magic spell,' by Weymouth ' magic thou didst practise ' ; the Twentieth Century New Testament has come nearest to the right translation in 'magical charms," i.e. charms not natural, but produced by magic ; but the true meaning seems to be ' magical love philtre.' One class of tliose who are to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 21*) is that of the cpapnaKeiis, which is translated ' sorcerers ' by A V and KV and Mott'att, while Weymouth's version ' those who practise magic' might be improved by translating 'those who practise poisoning.' Outside the Holy City are the ipapnaKol (Rev 22"), concerning whom the remarks just made apply. In Gal 5'^", among the deeds of the flesh is tj>apiiaKda, which is translated in AV 'witchcraft,' in RV 'sorcery,' and by Moffatt ' magic' Among the clauses of the second commandment of the Didaehe are ov fiayevacn, oi <papfiaKiv(Teii, which H. D. M. Spence * translates, ' thou shalt not practise magic ' and ' thou shalt not use enchantments.' But the other sins men- tioned naturally suggest that the latter command is, ' thou slialt not practise poisoning.' Sorcery in one form or another is practised in all the religions of the lower culture.! It long survived among Western Christians, if it does not still survive. ' A prefect of Honorius (A.D. 395-423) proposed to employ the Tuscan sorcerers, who otl'ered the aid of their arts against Alaric, and Litorius, fighting against a successor of Alaric in Gaul, consulted the pagan seers before the last battle, under the walls of Toulouse. In the last years of theWestern Empire, the diviners of Africa were practising their arts among the nominal Christians of Aqui- taine.' J In the Armenian Church there are still ' good sorcerers, who are quite disposed, with the aid of supernatural powers, to render Bervice to human beings.' § LiTEEATURB.— See under the articles Divination and Exorcism.