Magician
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary [1]
not unfrequently occurs in Scripture. Generally it signifies a diviner, a fortune teller, &c. Moses forbids recourse to such on pain of death: "The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and even cut him off from among his people," Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6 . The Hebrew is אלאּ?האבת ואלאּ?הידענום , which signify literally,—
the first, those possessed with a spirit of Python, or a demon that foretels future events;—the second, knowers, they who boast of the knowledge of secret things. It was such sort of people that Saul extirpated out of the land of Israel, 1 Samuel 28:3 . Daniel also speaks of magicians and diviners in Chaldea, under Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 1:20 , &c; ולאשפים
זלמכשפים זלכשדים לחרטמים . He names four sorts: Chartumim, Asaphim, Mecasphim, and Casdim, Daniel 2:2 . The first, Chartumim, according to Theodotion, signifies "enchanters;" according to the LXX, "sophists;" according to Jerom, hariolas, "diviners, fortune tellers, casters of nativities." The second word, Asaphim, has a great resemblance to the Greek word σοφος , "wise man;" whether the Greeks took this word from the Babylonians, or vice versa. Theodotion and Jerom have rendered it "magicians;" the LXX, "philosophers." The third word, Mecasphim, by Jerom and the Greeks, is translated malefici, "enchanters;" such as used noxious herbs and drugs, the blood of victims, and the bones of the dead, for their superstitious operations. The fourth word, Casdim, or Chaldeans, has two significations: first, the Chaldean people, over whom Nebuchadnezzar was monarch; the second, a sort of philosophers, who dwelt in a separate part of the city, who were exempt from all public offices and employments. Their studies were physic, astrology, divination, foretelling of future events by the stars, interpretation of dreams, augury, worship of the gods, &c. All these inquisitive and superstitious arts were prohibited among the Israelites, as founded on imposture or devilism, and as inconsistent with faith in God's providence, and trust in his supremacy.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(n.) One skilled in magic; one who practices the black art; an enchanter; a necromancer; a sorcerer or sorceress; a conjurer.
King James Dictionary [3]
MAGI'CIAN, n. One skilled in magic one that practices the black art an enchanter a necromancer a sorcerer or sorceress.
Morrish Bible Dictionary [4]
See Divination
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [5]
(Chald. חִרְטֹם , Chartom'; Heb. plural חִרְטֻמַּים , chartumminm', thought by Gesenius, Thesaur p. 520, to be of Heb. origin, signifying "sacred Scribe" ) , a title "applied to the ‘ wise men' of Egypt ( Genesis 41:8; Genesis 41:22; Exodus 7:11; Exodus 8:7; Exodus 8:18-19; Exodus 9:11) and of Babylon ( Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2). The word ‘ Magicians' is not in either case properly applied, as the Magi proper are usually assigned to Persia rather than to Babylon or Egypt, and should be altogether avoided in such application, seeing that it has acquired a sense different from that which it once bore. The term rather denotes ‘ wise men,' as they called themselves and were called by others; but, as we should call them, ‘ men eminent in learning and science,' their exclusive possession of which in their several countries enabled them occasionally to produce effects which were accounted supernatural by the people. Pythagoras, who was acquainted with Egypt and the East, and who was not unaware of the unfathomable depths of ignorance which lie under the highest attainable conditions of human knowledge, thought the modest title of philosopher ( Φιλόσοφος ) , ‘ lover of wisdom,' more becoming, and accordingly he brought it into use; but that of ‘ wise men' still retained its hold in the East. It is thought that the Egyptian Chartumninz were those of the Egyptian priests who had charge of the sacred records. There can be little doubt that they belonged to some branch of the priesthood, seeing that the more recondite departments of learning and science were cultivated exclusively in that powerful caste." (See Magi). See Jablonski, Proleg. In Panth. Aegypt. p. 91 sq.; Creuzer, Mythologie Und Symbolik, 1:245; Wilkinson, Anc. Egyptians, 2:316 sq.; Kenrick, Egypt under the Pharaohs, 1:382. (See Magic).
