Reference: Magic, Divination, and Sorcery
Hastings
Magic, divination, sorcery, and witchcraft are all connected with belief in superhuman powers, and are methods whereby men endeavour to obtain from these powers knowledge of the future, or assistance in the affairs of life. Belief in magic and divination is most prevalent in the lower stages of civilization and religion. The arts of the magician and the diviner were founded upon the same logical processes as have issued in the development of modern science; but the limits within which deduction would be valid were disregarded, and the data were frequently imperfect. Accidental coincidence was often confused with causal sequence. (See Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, art. 'Divination'). Magic and divination were derived from attempts at reasoning which were very often erroneous; but from such crude beginnings science has slowly grown.
In their beginning these arts were associated with religion; and diviners and magicians were those thought to be most intimately connected with the Deity, and, owing to their superior knowledge of Him and His ways, best able to learn His secrets or secure His aid. Among the Arabs the priest was originally also the soothsayer; the Heb. k
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And, while thinking of these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to yourself Mary your wife; for that which was begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
And, having been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed by another way into their own country.
"And, when praying, use not vain repetitions, as the gentiles do; for they think that for their much speaking they shall be heard.
And, if I by Beelzebub cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from Thee."
And the Pharisees and Sadducees, coming near, tempting Him, asked Him to show them a sign from the heaven;
But all their works they do with the view to be seen by men; for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge their fringes;
And, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that Righteous One; for I suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."
And others, tempting, were seeking of Him a sign from heaven.
He came, therefore, again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
But a certain man, Simon by name, was in the city before, using sorcery, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, affirming himself to be some great one;
but Elymas, the sorcerer (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.
And it came to pass, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, that a certain damsel, having a spirit of divination, met us; who, indeed, was bringing to her masters much gain by sooth-saying.
But some also of the wandering Jews, exorcists, attempted to name over those having evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches."
A considerable number, moreover, of those who had practiced the curious arts, having brought together the books, were burning them in the presence of all; and they counted the prices of them, and found them fifty thousand pieces of silver.
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strifes, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
yet now did He reconcile in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and without blemish, and irreproachable, before Him;
But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thefts.
And I heard a great voice out of the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them, as their God.