Wise Men - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

WISE MEN

wiz'-men:

In addition to the uses of "wise" specified in the article WISDOM, the adjective is employed occasionally as the technical description of men who are adepts in magic, divination, etc. (e.g. in Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11; Esther 1:13; Daniel 2:27; 5:15). Naturally, however, in the ancient world the boundary between genuine knowledge and astrology, etc., was exceedingly vague, and it was never denied that real knowledge could be gained along lines that we know to be futile. So the initiation of Moses into all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22) or of Daniel into all the learning of the Chaldeans (Daniel 1:4) met with no disapproval. These great men could be trusted to avoid the moral and religious pitfalls of such pursuits. For the ordinary Israelites, however the uncompromising prohibition of idolatry closed the door definitely to all studies of this kind. See ASTROLOGY; DIVINATION, etc. And for the Wise-men of Matthew 2 see MAGI.

Burton Scott Easton


Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'WISE MEN'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.  

An exhaustive Biblical encyclopedia that details every significant word in the Bible. Contains articles by nearly 200 scholars about every aspect of the culture, language, people, and literature of the Bible.
The Cross Pendant

He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel

Buy Now

bible verses about welcoming immigrants

Bible Verses About Welcoming ImmigrantsEmbracing the StrangerAs we journey through life, we often encounter individuals who are not of our nationality......

Blog
About Us
Message
Site Map

Who We AreWhat We EelieveWhat We Do

Terms of UsePrivacy Notice

2025 by iamachristian.org,Inc All rights reserved.

Home
Gospel
Question
Blog
Help