Magician

How Nave’s arranged it

• A person who claims to understand and explain mysteries by magicDaniel 1:20
• Failed to interpret Pharaoh's dreamsGenesis 41:8Genesis 41:24
• NebuchadnezzarsDaniel 2:2–13Daniel 4:7
• Wrought apparent miraclesExodus 7:11Exodus 7:12Exodus 7:22Exodus 8:7Exodus 8:18

The passages, in Bible order (10)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 10 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 41:8

   In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 41:82 voices

   “His spirit was troubled - It cannot but put us into a concern to receive any extraordinary message from heaven. And his magicians were puzzled; the rules of their art failed them; these dreams of Pharaoh did not fall within the compass of them. This was to make Joseph's performance by the Spirit of God the more admirable.

   “Called for all the magicians - חרטמים chartummim. The word here used may probably mean no more than interpreters of abstruse and difficult subjects; and especially of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, an art which is now entirely lost. It is most likely that the term is Egyptian, and consequently its etymology must remain unknown to us.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 41:8→

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2. Genesis 41:24

   And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

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3. Exodus 7:11

   But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 7:112 voices

   “Moses had been originally instructed in the learning of the Egyptians, and was suspected to have improved in magical arts in his long retirement. The magicians are therefore sent for to vie with him.

   “Three names for the magicians of Egypt are given in this verse. The “wise men” are men who know occult arts. The “sorcerers” are they who “mutter magic formulae,” especially when driving away crocodiles, snakes, asps, etc. It was natural that Pharaoh should have sent for such persons. The “magicians” are the “bearers of sacred words,” scribes and interpreters of hieroglyphic writings.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 7:11→

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4. Exodus 7:12

   Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 7:122 voices

   “WE shall not attempt to discuss the question as to whether these magicians actually did turn their rods into serpents or not. It is probable that they, by dexterous sleight of hand, substituted living serpents for dry rods and so deceived the eyes of Pharaoh. On the other hand, it is possible that God was pleased to permit the devil to aid their enchantments, and so the old serpent produced a brood. But into that question, I say, I shall not enter. It is of no importance which opinion we may hold.

   “Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods - As Egypt was remarkably addicted to magic, sorcery, etc., it was necessary that God should permit Pharaoh’s wise men to act to the utmost of their skill in order to imitate the work of God, that his superiority might be clearly seen, and his powerful working incontestably ascertained; and this was fully done when Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. We have already seen that the names of two of the chief of these magicians were Jannes and Jambres; see Clarke on Exo 2:10 (note), and 2Ti 3:8 (note).

   Everything gathered on Exodus 7:12→

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5. Exodus 7:22

   But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 7:222 voices

   “And the magicians did so - By God's permission with their enchantments; and this served Pharaoh for an excuse not to set his heart to this also, (ver. 23,) and a poor excuse it was. Could they have turned the river of blood into water again, it had been something; then they had proved their power, and Pharaoh had been obliged to them as his benefactors.

   “And the magicians - did so - But if all the water in Egypt was turned into blood by Moses, where did the magicians get the water which they changed into blood? This question is answered in Exo 7:24. The Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink, and it seems that the water obtained by this means was not bloody like that in the river: on this water therefore the magicians might operate.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 7:22→

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6. Exodus 8:7

   But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 8:72 voices

   “The magicians would seem to have been able to increase the plague, but not to remove it; hence, Pharaoh’s application to Moses, the first symptoms of yielding.

   “They also brought up frogs, but could not remove those that God sent. The unclean spirits which came out of the mouth of the dragon are said to be like frogs, which go forth to the kings of the earth, to deceive them ( Rev. xvi. 13 ), which probably alludes to these frogs, for it follows the account of the turning of the waters into blood.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 8:7→

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7. Exodus 8:18

   The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 8:181 voice

   “The magicians did so - That is, They tried the utmost of their skill, either to produce these insects or to remove this plague; but they could not, no juggling could avail here, because insects must be produced which would stick to and infix themselves in man and beast, which no kind of trick could possibly imitate; and to remove them, as some would translate the passage, was to their power equally impossible.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 8:18→

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8. Daniel 1:20

   In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

   ›Commentary on Daniel 1:202 voices

   “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding - Margin, “of.” The Hebrew is, “Everything of wisdom of understanding.” The Greek, “In all things of wisdom “and” knowledge.” The meaning is, in everything which required peculiar wisdom to understand and explain it. The points submitted were such as would appropriately come before the minds of the sages and magicians who were employed as counselors at court. He found them ten times better - Better counselors, better informed. Hebrew, “ten “hands” above the magicians;” that is, ten “times,” or “many” times.

   “He was soon aware of something extraordinary in these young men, and, which gave him a surprising satisfaction, was soon aware that a little of their true divinity was preferable to a great deal of the divination he had been used to.

   Everything gathered on Daniel 1:20→

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9. Daniel 2:2–13

   So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

   ›Commentary on Daniel 2:2–132 voices

   “Chaldeans--here, a certain order of priest-magicians, who wore a peculiar dress, like that seen on the gods and deified men in the Assyrian sculptures. Probably they belonged exclusively to the Chaldeans, the original tribe of the Babylonian nation, just as the Magians were properly Medes.

   “The magicians - חרטמים chartummim. See the note on Gen 41:8 (note). The astrologers - אשפים ashshaphim. Perhaps from נשף nashaph, to breathe, because they laid claim to Divine inspiration; but probably the persons in question were the philosophers and astronomers among the Babylonians. The sorcerers - מכשפים mechashshephim. See the note on Deu 18:10, and on Exo 22:18 (note), and Lev 19:31 (note), where several of these arts are explained. The Chaldeans - Who these were is difficult to be ascertained. They might be a college of learned men, where all arts and sciences were professed and taught.

   Everything gathered on Daniel 2:2–13→

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10. Daniel 4:7

    When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.

    ›Commentary on Daniel 4:72 voices

    “Then he described what happened in his second vision, as none of the magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans were able to declare the matter to the king, until Daniel was called who also described to Nebuchadnezzar his first vision, so that in all things God might glorify his own slaves the prophets beyond the other barbarians and foreign nations, who pretend to be flattered in their human wisdom, having practiced earthly learning.

    “Providence ordered it so that they should be first puzzled with it, that Daniel's interpreting it afterwards might redound to the glory of the God of Daniel. Now was fulfilled what Isaiah foretold ( ch. xlvii. 12, 13 ), that when the ruin of Babylon was drawing on her enchantments and sorceries, her astrologers and star-gazers, should not be able to do her any service.

    Everything gathered on Daniel 4:7→

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