μᾰγεία G3095
magic, sorcery, occult arts
This noun denotes the practice of magic or sorcery, originally referring to the religious teachings of Persian Magi but extended to occult arts generally. In Acts 8:11, Simon Magus had amazed the Samaritans with his magic arts for a long time, leading them to give him attention. The term reflects the widespread practice of magic in the Greco-Roman world.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts 8:11 explains that Simon had astonished the Samaritans with his magic for a considerable time, causing them to regard him as 'the Great Power of God.' The multilingual glosses (magic-arts, magias, magie) capture the occult dimension. Simon's subsequent encounter with Peter reveals the incompatibility between genuine spiritual power and manipulative magical practices, even when practitioners seek to acquire Christian power. 1×
AR["سِحْرِ"]·ben["জাদুতে"]·DE["μαγείαις"]·EN["magic-arts"]·FR["magie"]·heb["כְּשָׁפִים"]·HI["जादूओं-से"]·ID["sihir"]·IT["magia"]·jav["sihir,"]·KO["마법들-로"]·PT["magias"]·RU["волшебством"]·ES["magias"]·SW["uchawi"]·TR["büyücülüklerle"]·urd["جادووں"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μᾰγεία, ἡ, theology of the Magians, μ. ἡ Ζωροάστρου Refs 5th c.BC+ __II magic, NT+4th c.BC+; τὴν γοητικὴν μ. οὐδ᾽ ἔγνωσαν [οἱ μάγοι] Refs 4th c.BC+