φάρμᾰκος G5333
sorcerer, poisoner, magician; one who practices magic arts or uses drugs/potions for occult purposes
The term pharmakos (related to our "pharmacy" and "pharmaceutical") originally meant one who uses drugs or potions, which in the ancient world often meant poisoners or those practicing magic arts using herbs and compounds. The line between medicine, poison, and magic was thin in antiquity. By New Testament times, it clearly designated practitioners of occult arts, sorcerers. All three occurrences appear in Revelation's vice lists, grouping sorcerers with the sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and liars—those excluded from the new Jerusalem.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Revelation 9:21 lists four sins from which humanity didn't repent even after the sixth trumpet judgment: murder, "sorceries" (pharmakōn, genitive plural), sexual immorality, and theft—occult practices among heinous sins. Revelation 21:8 catalogs those excluded from the new Jerusalem, including "sorcerers" (pharmakois) alongside cowards, unbelievers, the vile, murderers, the sexually immoral, idolaters, and liars. Revelation 22:15 similarly lists "sorcerers" (pharmakoi) outside the city with dogs, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and lovers of falsehood. The Spanish hechiceros/hechicerías, French and German Zauberer all denote magic practitioners. The consistent placement among the gravest sins shows sorcery as rebellion against God's order, seeking power through demonic rather than divine means. 3×
AR["السَّحَرَةُ", "سِحْرِهِمْ"]·ben["বশীকরণকারীদের", "বশীকরণকারীরা", "মাদকদ্রব্য"]·DE["Zauberer"]·EN["sorcerers", "sorceries"]·FR["Zauberer"]·heb["הַ-מְכַשְׁפִים", "כְּשָׁפִים", "מְכַשְׁפִים"]·HI["जादू-टोनों", "जादूगरों", "व्यभिचारी"]·ID["sihir-sihir", "tukang-sihir", "tukang-tukang-sihir"]·IT["pharmakoi", "pharmakois", "pharmakōn"]·jav["dhukun", "tenung", "tiyang-dhukun"]·KO["마술들", "마술사들과"]·PT["feiticeiros", "feitiçarias", "feticeiros"]·RU["чародеи", "чародейств", "чародеям"]·ES["hechiceros,", "hechicerías"]·SW["uchawi", "wachawi", "wachawi,"]·TR["büyücüler", "büyücülerin", "büyücülüklerinden"]·urd["جادوؤں", "جادوگر", "جادوگروں"]
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
φάρμᾰκος (on the accent see Hdn.Gr.1.150), ὁ, ἡ, poisoner, sorcerer, magician, LXX+NT