Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MAGI

(Gk. mágoi)

Technical term designating the “wise men” who visit the infant Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12) and the “magician” Elymas bar Jesus who opposes Paul (Acts 13:4-12). In the LXX the term refers to those individuals who interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, in conjunction with other specialists including enchanters, sorcerers, and “the Chaldeans” (Dan. 2:2, 10, 27; 4:4[MT 1]; 5:7, 11, 15).

Herodotus mentions Magi who served as Median or Zoroastrian priests engaged in dream interpretation (Hist. 1.101). Philo, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus also describe a range of duties for Magi, including dream interpretation, magic, astrology, and fortune-telling.

There has been much discussion as to the precise meaning of the term in Matt. 2:1, 7, 16, rendered in most English translations as “wise men,” “Magi,” or “astrologers.” It is likely that they were astrologers, since they were interpreters and followers of the “star at its rising” (Matt. 2:2).

Bibliography. R. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, rev. ed. (New York, 1993), 167-70; G. Delling, “mágos,” TDNT 4:356-59.

Robert A. Derrenbacker, Jr.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MAGI

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)