25 Bible Verses About Magicians (With Commentary)

Throughout history, magic and illusions have captivated the human imagination. The Bible, too, contains accounts of magicians, demonstrating the clash between supernatural forces. These verses provide insight into encounters between magicians and the power of God.

As we explore these verses, we discover the awe-inspiring nature of God’s might and the reminder that His power transcends any human tricks or illusions.

Join me as we delve into these verses and witness the extraordinary ways in which God triumphs over the works of magicians and sorcerers.

Bible Verses About Magicians

Exodus 7:11

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”

In this verse, we see the magicians of Egypt attempting to replicate Moses’ miracles through their own enchantments. However, their power was limited and ultimately overshadowed by the true power of God.

Exodus 7:22

“And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.”

Despite the magicians’ attempts to replicate the miracles of Moses, Pharaoh remained obstinate and did not heed their advice. This serves as a reminder that human power and deception cannot prevail over the authority of God.

Exodus 8:7

“And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.”

In an attempt to replicate the plague of frogs brought upon Egypt, the magicians resorted to their enchantments. However, their actions only added to the suffering, highlighting the limited power of human sorcery.

Exodus 8:18

“And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.”

When it came to the plague of lice, the magicians’ abilities reached their limit. They were unable to produce the same result through their enchantments, showcasing the superiority of God’s power.

Exodus 9:11

“And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.”

During the plague of boils, even the magicians themselves were affected. Their inability to protect themselves from this affliction demonstrated their lack of power and revealed the superiority of God’s judgment.

Numbers 22:6

“Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.”

In this verse, Balak, the king of Moab, sought the assistance of the magician Balaam to curse the Israelites. However, Balak’s recognition of the power of blessings and curses indirectly acknowledges the authority and sovereignty of God.

Numbers 24:1

“And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.”

After several failed attempts to curse the Israelites, Balaam realized that it was futile to seek enchantments. Instead, he turned his attention towards the wilderness, acknowledging the divine guidance and favor upon the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 18:10-11

“There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead.”

These verses explicitly forbid the Israelites from engaging in various occult practices, including divination, fortune-telling, sorcery, and communication with the dead. This demonstrates God’s desire for His people to seek Him alone and refrain from seeking guidance or power from magicians or occult sources.

1 Samuel 6:2

“And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, ‘What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to its place.’”

When the Philistines captured the ark of the Lord, they sought guidance from their priests and diviners on how to handle it. However, their reliance on human wisdom instead of seeking God’s instructions led to disastrous consequences.

1 Samuel 6:3

“And they said, ‘If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.’”

The priests and diviners advised the Philistines to offer a trespass offering along with the ark, suggesting that doing so would bring healing and an understanding of why they were afflicted. While their advice demonstrated some spiritual insight, it still fell short of the true worship and obedience required by God.

2 Kings 21:6

“And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”

This verse speaks of King Manasseh’s evil practices, which included child sacrifice, divination, enchantments, consulting familiar spirits, and dealing with wizards. Such acts of sorcery and occult involvement greatly displeased the Lord and led to His anger.

Isaiah 19:3

“And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.”

In this verse, God pronounces judgment upon Egypt, foretelling that their reliance on idols, charmers, and wizards will fail them. It emphasizes the futility of seeking supernatural power and guidance from sources other than the true God.

Isaiah 47:9

“But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.”

This verse depicts the consequences that would befall Babylon due to their sorceries and enchantments. God declares that they would experience great loss and sorrow as a result of their reliance on occult practices rather than turning to Him.

Jeremiah 27:9

“Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon.”

Jeremiah warns the people of Judah not to listen to false prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, and sorcerers who claimed that they would not have to serve the king of Babylon. These false practitioners deceived the people with their enchantments, leading them astray from God’s true instructions.

Jeremiah 29:8

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.”

Continuing from the previous verse, God instructs His people not to be deceived by the false prophets and diviners who claimed to have dreams from God. He urges them to discern between true prophets and those who merely fabricated dreams to suit their own desires.

Daniel 2:2

“Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.”

King Nebuchadnezzar summoned various occult practitioners, including magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, in the hope that they could interpret his dreams. This verse reflects the reliance of ancient rulers on occult practices for guidance.

Daniel 2:27

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, ‘The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king.’”

When the wise men, astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers failed to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel stepped forward with the revelation given to him by God. This highlights the limitations of human wisdom and the superiority of divine revelation.

Daniel 4:7

“Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.”

King Nebuchadnezzar again sought the assistance of magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers to interpret his dream. However, they were unable to provide the interpretation, further demonstrating the insufficiency of human knowledge and the need for divine insight.

Acts 8:9

“But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one.”

This verse introduces Simon, a sorcerer who deceived the people of Samaria with his magical practices. He claimed to be someone of great importance, but his sorcery was eventually confronted by the true power of God.

Acts 13:6

“And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus.”

On their missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas encountered a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas, who tried to hinder their preaching. This encounter illustrates the clash between the power of God’s Word and the deceptive practices of a sorcerer.

Acts 19:19

“Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

When the people in Ephesus embraced Christianity, those who had practiced sorcery and magical arts voluntarily burned their books publicly. This act symbolized their repentance and renouncement of their former involvement with dark practices.

Galatians 5:20

“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.”

Among the works of the flesh listed in this verse, “witchcraft” refers to the practice of sorcery, occult arts, or magic. This verse warns against engaging in such activities and emphasizes the need to walk in the Spirit, bearing the fruits of righteousness.

Revelation 9:21

“Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

In the context of the end times, this verse describes a rebellious and unrepentant humanity. “Sorceries” is listed among their sins, highlighting the continued presence of occult practices and reliance on supernatural powers apart from God.

These Bible verses shed light on the subject of magicians and their practices as depicted in the Bible. They emphasize the limitations of human power and the superiority of God’s authority, urging believers to rely solely on the Lord for guidance and protection.