Word Study for G3097 (μάγος) | Strong's Concordance

mágos /mag'-os/ Ask about this word

Rootof foreign origin (רַב־מָג)

Meaninga Magian, i.e. Oriental scientist; by implication, a magician

KJV usagesorcerer, wise man.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mágos — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word mágos, represented by G3097, is a term of foreign origin that refers to a Magian or Oriental scientist. By implication, it can mean either a wise man or a sorcerer. It appears 6 times in 5 verses, highlighting a dual meaning that depends heavily on the context in which it is used.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3097 is used in two distinct and contrasting ways. In the Gospel of Matthew, it describes the wise men who came "from the east" to Jerusalem after Jesus's birth Matthew 2:1. These individuals diligently inquired about the star's appearance and were sought out by King Herod Matthew 2:7. Later, Herod became wroth after realizing he was "mocked of the wise men" Matthew 2:16. Conversely, in the book of Acts, the term identifies a sorcerer and "false prophet" named Barjesus Acts 13:6, who is also called "Elymas the sorcerer" Acts 13:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the meaning and context of G3097, particularly in its negative connotation:

G1681 Elýmas (of foreign origin; Elymas, a wizard): This is the proper name given to the sorcerer, directly linked to G3097 in the text, which states, "Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation)" Acts 13:8.
G5578 pseudoprophḗtēs (a spurious prophet, i.e. pretended foreteller or religious impostor): This term is used to further describe the sorcerer in Acts, identifying him as "a certain sorcerer, a false prophet" Acts 13:6, emphasizing his deceptive nature.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3097 lies in its sharp dichotomy. It illustrates the difference between legitimate seeking and deceptive power.

Sincere Inquiry: The wise men in Matthew represent individuals from the east who, guided by a star, earnestly seek the newborn king. Their story shows them being led to Jesus after diligent inquiry (Matthew 2:1, Matthew 2:7).
Spiritual Opposition: In contrast, Elymas the sorcerer represents a counterfeit spirituality that actively opposes the gospel. He is identified as a "false prophet" Acts 13:6 who attempts to "turn away the deputy from the faith," demonstrating a direct antagonism to God's work Acts 13:8.

Summary

In summary, G3097 is a word with a significant duality of meaning. It is not a simple label but one that can represent either honorable wise men who seek the divine or a deceptive sorcerer who opposes it. The context is therefore critical to understanding its use, as it highlights the biblical distinction between genuine wisdom that leads to God and false power that stands in opposition to the faith.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 6 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Genitive Plural Masculine 2×
Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (3 verses); never once in the other 25.

Matthew

Acts

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.