Reference: Magic
American
In the Bible, all the superstitious ceremonies of magicians, sorcerers, enchanters, necromancers, spiritualists, exorcists, astrologers, soothsayers, interpreters of dreams, fortune-tellers, casters of nativities, etc., which are all forbidden by the law of God, whether practiced to hurt or to benefit mankind. It was also forbidden to consult magicians on pain of death, Le 19:31; 20:6. See ENCHANTMENTS and SORCERERS.
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Do not turn to those who have familiar spirits, nor to the wizards. Do not seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am LORD your God.
And the soul that turns to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Easton
The Jews seem early to have consulted the teraphim (q.v.) for oracular answers (Jg 18:5-6; Zec 10:2). There is a remarkable illustration of this divining by teraphim in Eze 21:19-22. We read also of the divining cup of Joseph (Ge 44:5). The magicians of Egypt are frequently referred to in the history of the Exodus. Magic was an inherent part of the ancient Egyptian religion, and entered largely into their daily life.
All magical arts were distinctly prohibited under penalty of death in the Mosaic law. The Jews were commanded not to learn the "abomination" of the people of the Promised Land (Le 19:31; De 18:9-14). The history of Saul's consulting the witch of Endor (1Sa 28:3-20) gives no warrant for attributing supernatural power to magicians. From the first the witch is here only a bystander. The practice of magic lingered among the people till after the Captivity, when they gradually abandoned it.
It is not much referred to in the New Testament. The Magi mentioned in Mt 2:1-12 were not magicians in the ordinary sense of the word. They belonged to a religious caste, the followers of Zoroaster, the astrologers of the East. Simon, a magician, was found by Philip at Samaria (Ac 8:9-24); and Paul and Barnabas encountered Elymas, a Jewish sorcerer, at Paphos (Ac 13:6-12). At Ephesus there was a great destruction of magical books (Ac 19:18-19).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Is not this that in which my lord drinks, and how he indeed divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.
Do not turn to those who have familiar spirits, nor to the wizards. Do not seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am LORD your God.
When thou have come into the land, which LORD thy God gives thee, thou shall not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with thee anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, a psychic, he who practices augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, read more. or a charmer, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to LORD. And because of these abominations LORD thy God drives them out from before thee. Thou shall be perfect with LORD thy God. For these nations, that thou shall dispossess, hearken to those who practice augury, and to psychics. But as for thee, LORD thy God has not allowed thee to do so.
And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest said to them, Go in peace. Your way is before LORD in which ye go.
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. read more. And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of LORD, LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, Divine to me, I pray thee, by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to And the woman said to him, Behold, thou know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by LORD, saying, As LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have thou deceived me? For thou are Saul. And the king said to her, Be not afraid, for what do thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I see gods coming up out of the earth. And he said to her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man comes up, and he is covered with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. And Samuel said to Saul, Why have thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am greatly distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, no And Samuel said, Why then do thou ask of me, since LORD departed from thee, and has become thine adversary? And LORD has done to thee, as he spoke by me. And LORD has rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David. Because thou obeyed not the voice of LORD, and did not execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore LORD has done this thing to thee this day. Moreover LORD will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow thou and thy sons shall be with me. LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. Those two shall come forth out of one land. And mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city. Thou shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. read more. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows to and fro. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver. In his right hand was the divination [for] Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts.
For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and they have told FALSE dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him. read more. And Herod the king having heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And having gathered together all the chief priests and scholars of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ is born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written through the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of thee will come forth a man who rules, who will tend my people Israel. Then Herod having called the wise men privately, ascertained from them what time the star appeared. And having sent them to Bethlehem, he said, After going, search diligently about the child. And when ye find him, report to me, so that I also having come, may worship him. And when they heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star that they saw in the east went before them until, having come, it stood over where the child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And having come into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and having fallen down, they worshiped him. And having opened their treasures, they brought to him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country by another way.
But a certain man in the city, Simon by name, was formerly practicing sorcery, and fascinating the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be some great man, to whom they gave heed, from small to great, saying, This man is the great power of God. read more. And they heeded him, because he facinated them for a considerable time with the sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching good news, the things about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women. And Simon himself also believed. And after being immersed, he was continuing with Philip. And seeing miracles and signs occurring, he was astonished. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria has received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they came down, prayed for them, so that they might receive Holy Spirit, for it was not yet fallen upon any of them. They were only immersed in the name of the Christ Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he brought money to them, saying, Give me also this power, so that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, Thy silver with thee, may it be for destruction, because thou thought to obtain the gift of God by money. There is no part nor lot for thee in this matter, for thy heart is not straight in the sight of God. Repent therefore from this thine evil, and beg God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart will be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness. And having answered, Simon said, Beg ye to the Lord for me, so that none of which things ye have spoken may come upon me.
And after going through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a Jewish FALSE prophet, whose name was Bar-jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man, having summoned Barnabas and Saul, sought to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) opposed them, seeking to deviate the proconsul from the faith. But Saul (the man is also Paul) having been filled with Holy Spirit, and having gazed on him, said, O man full of all deceit and all recklessness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, will thou not cease distorting the straight ways of Lord? And now, behold, a hand of Lord is upon thee, and thou will be blind, not seeing the sun until a time. And immediately there fell on him gloom and darkness, and going around he sought hand-guides. Then the proconsul, who saw that which happened, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
And many of those who have believed came, confessing, and reporting their practices. And a considerable number of those who practiced magical things, having brought their books together, burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.