Sorcery
Sorcery
The indefiniteness attaching to the meaning of words connected with divination, noticed in the article Soothsaying, is quite as applicable to sorcery. From sors, a lot, come sortiri, to cast lots, and sortiarius, one who foretells fortunes by lots. To enable the foreteller to do his work, assistance was gained from spirits; and the latter conception gradually banished the idea of lots, confined now to sortilege, and sorcery came to mean accomplishing ones object by means of evil spirits. It is applied to making the wind blow in a certain direction, causing storms and disasters; bringing on darkness; manipulating the rain-clouds, etc. [Note: Exp, 8th ser., vii. [1914] 21; The Book of Ser Marco Polo, tr. by H. Yule2, London, 1875, i. 99, 108, 175, 178, 292, 300, 339; ii. 399.]
From the word , not used in the Qal, but evidently meaning to pray, we have the Piel , which means to pray intensely and effectively. This word, which has no connexion with lots, is used in an anti-religious sense, and in 2Ch 33:6 is translated used witchcraft (Authorized Version ), practised sorcery (Revised Version ); and in the Septuagint . [Note: Exp, 8th ser., vii. 24; EBi iii. 2900.] The participle of this word means one who by intense prayer, or spell, achieves supernormal results. It is translated in Exo 7:11, Dan 2:2, Mal 3:5 sorcerers (Authorized Version and Revised Version ), and in Septuagint , while the feminine in Exo 22:17 (18) is translated by witch (Authorized Version ), sorceress (Revised Version ), [Note: Exp, 8th ser., vii. 22, 23.] in Septuagint . itself in Deu 18:10 is translated by witch (Authorized Version ); clearly it should at least he wizard, unless witch is here used as a word of common gender; by sorcerer in Revised Version , while in this case the Septuagint uses . [Note: Exp, 8th ser., vii. 22; W. R. Smith, JPh xiii. [1884-85] 273 ff., xiv. [1885] 113.]
In Jer 27:9, , the practisers of the article is translated your sorcerers in Authorized Version and Revised Version , while the Septuagint uses , (Jer 34:9). The noun in Isa 47:9; Isa 47:12 is translated by sorceries (Authorized Version and Revised Version ), and by in the Septuagint ; but in 2Ki 9:22, Mic 5:11 (12), Nah 3:4 it is translated by witchcrafts, Septuagint , where clearly the right translation is magic arts. [Note: Exp, 8th ser., vii. 25; EBi iii. 2900.] But in Isa 57:3 the phrase is rendered in Authorized Version and Revised Version sons of the sorceress, and in Septuagint by . In Dan 1:20; Dan 2:2; Dan 2:10; Dan 2:27; Dan 4:4(7) Dan 5:7; Dan 5:11; Dan 5:15 the word , which is translated astrologers in the Authorized Version , is rendered enchanters in Revised Version , and in the Septuagint by . Herodotus (i. 101) uses this word to indicate the Magi, one of the six tribes of the Medes, who were probably a sacred priestly class, devoted to astrology, divination by dreams, and the practice of magic generally. [Note: HDB iii. 203; J. H. Moulton, Early Religious Poetry of Persia, Cambridge, 1911, p. 75; G. Maspero, The Passing of the Empires, London, 1900, pp. 452, 577, 595, 783. The Rabmag (Jer 39:3; Jer 39:13) was probably the (or a) chief of this tribe who may have been either the chief physician attached to the Court or, more probably, a high official charged with the care of the horse and chariotry (see A. II. Sayce, The Higher Criticism and the Verdict of the Monuments, London, 1894, p. 456; Records of the Past, 2nd ser., ii. [London, 1889] 182; C. H. W. Johns, Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts, and Letters, Edinburgh, 1904, p. 375).] This word is applied by the writer of the First Gospel to the men from the East who visited the cradle of Jesus (Mat 21:1; Mat 21:7; Mat 21:16), but that incident throws no light either on their status, the rites which they practised, or the country from which they came.
In Act 13:6; Act 13:8 the name is applied to the Jew Bar-Jesus of Paphos. It is translated sorcerer by Authorized Version and Moffatt, and also by the Revised Version , with Magus in the margin. The further designation would indicate that he was by profession a prognosticator, probably of fortunes or events, but this is the only hint given of his arts or pretensions. [Note: W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, London, 1895, p. 76.] In Act 8:9; Act 8:11 Simon of Samaria is spoken of as , and the art which he practised is named . These are translated in Authorized Version and Revised Version used sorcery and sorceries, but Moffatts translations, practised magic arts and skill in magic, are much truer to the Greek and to the facts so far as we can judge. The writer of the Apocalypse, to describe a sin or set of sins, falls back on the Septuagint , and uses words connected with . This word means a drug which can be given to a person, or used magically by one person on another to produce an effect hurtful or the reverse. is the practice of this art, and is the practitioner. In the apostolic writings these are used in a bad sense. In Rev 9:21 the unrepentant are grouped into those who have not forsaken four vices, one of which is (the variant readings in this and the following cases do not affect the sense). The word is translated in Authorized Version and Revised Version sorceries, by Moffatt magic spell, and by Weymouth practice of magic. The place of the word and the well-known custom of the time suggest that the true meaning, in conformity with the original designation of the word, is poisoning. In the condemnation of Babylon (Rev 18:23) it is said: all nations were seduced, . This is translated in Authorized Version sorceries, in Revised Version sorcery, by Moffatt magic spell, by Weymouth magic thou didst practice; the Twentieth Century New Testament has come nearest to the right translation in magical charms, i.e. charms not natural, but produced by magic; but the true meaning seems to be magical love philtre. One class of those who are to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 21:8) is that of the , which is translated sorcerers by Authorized Version and Revised Version and Moffatt, while Weymouths version those who practise magic might be improved by translating those who practise poisoning. Outside the Holy City are the (Rev 22:15), concerning whom the remarks just made apply. In Gal 5:20, among the deeds of the flesh is , which is translated in Authorized Version witchcraft, in Revised Version sorcery, and by Moffatt magic. Among the clauses of the second commandment of the Didache are , , which H. D. M. Spence [Note: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, London, 1885, ch. ii.] translates, thou shalt not practise magic and thou shalt not use enchantments. But the other sins mentioned naturally suggest that the latter command is, thou shalt not practise poisoning. Sorcery in one form or another is practised in all the religions of the lower culture. [Note: See, e.g., G. T. Bettany, Primitive Religions, London, 1891, pp. 20, 36, 90, 113; ERE ii. 362b.] It long survived among Western Christians, if it does not still survive. A prefect of Honorius (a.d. 395-423) proposed to employ the Tuscan sorcerers, who offered the aid of their arts against Alaric, and Litorius, fighting against a successor of Alaric in Gaul, consulted the pagan seers before the last battle, under the walls of Toulouse. In the last years of the Western Empire, the diviners of Africa were practising their arts among the nominal Christians of Aquitaine. [Note: Samuel Dill, Roman Society in the Last Century of the Western Empire2, London, 1905, p. 5.] In the Armenian Church there are still good sorcerers, who are quite disposed, with the aid of supernatural powers, to render service to human beings. [Note: ERE i. 806.]
Literature.-See under the articles Divination and Exorcism.
P. A. Gordon Clark.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
SORCERY
Magic, conjuration.
See CHARMS and WITCHCRAFT.
Fuente: Theological Dictionary
SORCERY
See MAGIC.
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Sorcery
SORCERY.See Magic Divination and Sorcery.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Sorcery
Divination by an alleged assistance of evil spirits.
Forbidden
Lev 19:26-28; Lev 19:31; Lev 20:6; Deu 18:9-14
Denounced
Isa 8:19; Mal 3:5
Practiced:
– By the Egyptians
Isa 19:3; Isa 19:11-12
– By the magicians
Exo 7:11; Exo 7:22; Exo 8:7; Exo 8:18
– By Balaam
Num 22
– By Jezebel
2Ki 9:22
– By the Ninevites
Nah 3:4-5
– By the Babylonians
Isa 47:9-13; Eze 21:21-22; Dan 2:2; Dan 2:10; Dan 2:27
– By Belshazzar
Dan 5:7; Dan 5:15
– By Simon Magus
Act 8:9; Act 8:11
– By Elymas
Act 13:8
– By the damsel at Philippi
Act 16:16
– By vagabond Jews
Act 19:13
– By sons of Sceva
Act 19:14-15
– By astrologers
Jer 10:2; Mic 3:6-7
– By false prophets
Jer 14:14; Jer 27:9; Jer 29:8-9; Eze 13:6-9; Eze 22:28; Mat 24:24
To cease
Eze 12:23-24; Eze 13:23; Mic 5:12
Messages of, false
Eze 21:29; Zec 10:2; 2Th 2:9
Diviners shall be confounded
Mic 3:7
Belongs to the works of the flesh
Gal 5:20
Wickedness of
1Sa 15:23
Vainness of
Isa 44:25
Punishment for
Exo 22:18; Lev 20:27; Deu 13:5
Divining by:
– Familiar spirits
Lev 20:27; 1Ch 10:13; 2Ch 33:6; Isa 8:19; Isa 19:3; Isa 29:4
– Entrails
Eze 21:21
– Images
2Ki 23:24; Eze 21:21
– Rods
Hos 4:12
Saul consulted the witch of En-Dor
1Sa 28:7-25
Books of, destroyed
Act 19:19
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Sorcery
(Eng., “pharmacy,” etc.) primarily signified “the use of medicine, drugs, spells;” then, “poisoning;” then, “sorcery,” Gal 5:20, RV, “sorcery” (AV, “witchcraft”), mentioned as one of “the works of the flesh.” See also Rev 9:21; Rev 18:23. In the Sept., Exo 7:11, Exo 7:22; Exo 8:7, Exo 8:18; Isa 47:9, Isa 47:12. In “sorcery,” the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.
“the magic art,” is used in the plural in Act 8:11, “sorceries” (see SORCERER, No. 1).
akin to A, No. 2, “to practice magic,” Act 8:9, “used sorcery,” is used as in A, No. 2, of Simon Magnus.