Magicians
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary [1]
In Scripture language, the word means a pretender to curious arts. Such as have familiar spirits and wizards. Such were the magicians in the court of Pharaoh, Exodus 7:11, etc. Balaam, the son of Bozor, was of the same class. ( Numbers 22:5, etc. Daniel 1:20)
See Balaam.
Smith's Bible Dictionary [2]
Magicians. See Magic .
Easton's Bible Dictionary [3]
Daniel 1:20
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [4]
The early Christians were derided by this name. Celsus and others pretended that our Savior, because he wrought miracles, practiced magic, which he had learned in Egypt. Augustine speaks of a popular belief among the enemies of the Christian faith that our Savior had written books on magic, which he delivered to Peter and Paul for the use of his disciples. One of the Roman historians calls the Christians genus hominum superstitionis malificae, which may be understood to mean "men of the magical superstitions." In the martyrdom of Agnes, the people cried out, "Away with the sorceress! Away with the enchantress!"
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature [5]
Magicians, the title which in our version is applied to the 'wise men' of Egypt (;;;;; ), and of Babylon The Hebrew word properly 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.
