WG: Sorcery / Magic¶
Overview¶
The NT sorcery/magic concept involves two distinct word families — the pharma- family (rooted in drug/potion imagery) and the mag- family (rooted in oriental magic arts) — plus one standalone verb for bewitching by fascination. Together they cover 13 verses across 4 NT books.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G5331 | φαρμακεία | pharmakeia | fem. noun | 3 | The practice (sorcery via drugs/potions) | G5331 |
| G5332 | φαρμακεύς | pharmakeus | masc. noun | 1 | The practitioner (druggist/sorcerer) | TODO(need G5332 study) |
| G5333 | φάρμακος | pharmakos | adj. | 1 | The practitioner (sorcerer, variant form) | TODO(need G5333 study) |
| G3095 | μαγεία | mageia | fem. noun | 1 | The practice (magic arts generally) | TODO(need G3095 study) |
| G3096 | μαγεύω | mageuō | verb | 1 | The action (to practice magic) | TODO(need G3096 study) |
| G3097 | μάγος | magos | masc. noun | 5 | The practitioner (magician/wise man) | TODO(need G3097 study) |
| G940 | βασκαίνω | baskainō | verb | 1 | The action (to bewitch by fascination) | TODO(need G940 study) |
Relationships¶
Word Families¶
- pharma- family: pharmakeia (G5331), pharmakeus (G5332), pharmakos (G5333) — all from pharmakon (drug/potion). Concentrated in Galatians 5 and Revelation 9, 18, 21, 22.
- mag- family: mageia (G3095), mageuō (G3096), magos (G3097) — from foreign (Persian) origin. Concentrated in Matthew 2 and Acts 8, 13.
- Standalone: baskainō (G940) — "evil eye" bewitchment; only in Gal 3:1.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
No pairwise co-occurrences exist. Each word appears in entirely different verses. The group coheres through semantic domain (Louw-Nida 53.10 — Magic), not textual co-occurrence.
Roles in the Concept¶
- The Drug-Based Practice: pharmakeia (G5331) — sorcery through substances/potions; paired with idolatry in vice lists; instrument of Babylon's end-time deception
- The Drug-Based Practitioners: pharmakeus (G5332) + pharmakos (G5333) — those who practice pharmakeia; excluded from the holy city (Rev 21:8; 22:15)
- The Magic Art: mageia (G3095) — general magic practice (Acts 8:11, Simon Magus)
- The Magic Action: mageuō (G3096) — to practice magic (Acts 8:9, Simon Magus)
- The Magician: magos (G3097) — dual usage: positive (wise men, Matt 2) and negative (sorcerer, Acts 13)
- Bewitching by Fascination: baskainō (G940) — to bewitch through the evil eye or false persuasion (Gal 3:1)
Key Passages¶
- Gal 5:19–21 — pharmakeia in the "works of the flesh" list, paired with idolatry
- Rev 9:21 — pharmakeia among sins the impenitent refuse to abandon
- Rev 18:23 — pharmakeia as Babylon's instrument for deceiving all nations
- Rev 21:8; 22:15 — pharmakeus/pharmakos excluded from the holy city
- Acts 8:9–11 — mageuō/mageia: Simon Magus bewitching Samaria
- Acts 13:6–8 — magos: Bar-Jesus the sorcerer opposing Paul
- Matt 2:1–16 — magos: wise men visiting the infant Jesus (positive usage)
- Gal 3:1 — baskainō: "who hath bewitched you?"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py, louw_nida.db Last updated: 2026-04-08