"to be a magician; to use magical arts, practise magic, sorcery, Acts 8:9*"
Definition and meaning
to be a magician; to use magical arts, practise magic, sorcery, Acts 8:9*
In the original Greek the word is written: μαγεύω
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of mageuo (G3096) across the King James Bible.
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:
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Common questions
Strong's G3096 (mageuo) is a Greek word that means: to be a magician; to use magical arts, practise magic, sorcery, Acts 8:9* It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word mageuo (G3096) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3096 is mageuo, a Greek word defined as: to be a magician; to use magical arts, practise magic, sorcery, Acts 8:9*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
mageuo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.