MAGICIANS. The Name Magician, Magus, Magi, is pretty often to be met with in Scripture. Generally it signifies a Diviner, a Fortune-teller, &c. Moses for Example forbids to consult such People on Pain of Death, Levit xix. 31. Regard not them that have familiar Spirits, neither seek after Wizards to be defiled by them. xx. 6. 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 will cut him off from among his People. The Hebrew Words Oboth and Jedonim signify literally the first those that are possessed with a Spirit of Python, or a Demon that foretels future Events; the second is Knowers, they that boast of the Knowledge of secret Things. ‘Twas such Sort of People that Saul extirpated out of the Land of Israel.
Daniel also speaks of Magicians1, and the Diviners that were in Chaldæa under King Nebuchadnezzar. He names four Sorts of ‘em, Chartumim, Asaphim, Mecasphim, and Casdim. The first, according to Theodotion, signifies Enchanters; according to the Septuagint, Sophists; according to Saint Jerom, Ariolos, Diviners, Fortune-tellers, Casters of Nativities. The second Word Asaphim, has a great Resemblance to the Greek Word Sophos, Wise-men, whether the Greeks took this Word from the Babylonians, or these from them. The Root of Asaphim is not in the Chaldee Tongue, and Grotius thinks it is derived from the Greek. Theodotion and Saint Jerom have rendered it by Magicians, and the Septuagint by Philosophers.
The third Word is Mecasphim, which by Saint Jerom and the Greeks is translated Malefici, Enchanters, such People as make Use of noxious Herbs and Drugs, the Blood of Victims, and the Bones of the dead for their superstitious Operations.
The fourth Word Casdim, or Chaldæans, has two different Significations. The first intimates the Chaldæan People, who had then Nebuchadnezzar for their Monarch. The second expresses a Sort of Philosophers called also Chaldæans, who dwelt in a separate Part of the City, and were exempt from all publick Offices and Employments. Their Study was Physick, Astrology, Divination, the foretelling of future Events by the Observation of the Stars, the Interpretation of Dreams, the Science of Auguries, the Worship of the Gods, &c.2
All these inquisitive and superstitious Arts were prohibited among the Israelites; and to prevent any Inclination they might have of imitating the other Eastern People, who all had their Diviners, Enchanters, and Magicians; God sent them Prophets, who discovered future Events to them, and other Secrets, after a sure, clear, and easy Manner: Whereas the Predictions of Diviners were always obscure, enigmatical, doubtful, and dangerous, as well in Respect of those that consulted them, as those that were consulted. For the Law condemned them both to Death. See the Articles JANNES and JAMBRES, Pharaoh’s Magicians; and also the Word PYTHON.
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