Lexical Summary chartom: magicians, magician Original Word: חַרְטֹם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance magician (Aramaic) the same as chartom -- magician. see HEBREW chartom NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to chartom Definition magician NASB Translation magician (1), magicians (4). Topical Lexicon Overview חַרְטֹם designates the class of court magicians and diviner–priests who served in royal administrations, especially in Babylon during the sixth century BC. While outwardly grouped with “wise men,” their craft depended on occult practices, dream-books, astrological charts, and ritual lore. Throughout the Book of Daniel they function as a foil to true prophetic revelation, highlighting the supremacy of the Lord’s wisdom over human or demonic artifice. Ancient Near Eastern Setting In Mesopotamia the king’s security rested on his ability to read the gods’ will. Specialist guilds—lu.maš-šá-ilu (“magicians”), ṭupšarru (“scribe-diviners”), and ašipu (“exorcists”)—compiled omen tablets and formulated apotropaic rites. The term חַרְטֹם comfortably fits this milieu. Proficiency in cuneiform, mathematics, and celestial observation made these men indispensable politically; yet their counsel was viewed as emanating from the deities of the nations, not from the covenant God of Israel. Occurrences in Daniel 1. Daniel 2:10–11: The חַרְטֹמֵיָּא concede total inability before Nebuchadnezzar’s demand. Their confession, “There is no one on earth who can accomplish the king’s request,” prepares the stage for divine intervention through Daniel. Spiritual Contrast with Prophetic Revelation “Daniel answered the king, ‘The mystery about which the king has inquired—the wise men, astrologers, magicians, and diviners cannot explain to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries’” (Daniel 2:27-28a). Scripture thus establishes a permanent antithesis between revelation granted by the Holy Spirit and knowledge obtained through forbidden channels (compare Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 47:12-15). The חַרְטֹמִין represent human dependence on autonomous or demonic wisdom; Daniel embodies dependence on God. Historical Significance in the Babylonian Court Nebuchadnezzar’s systematic enlistment of exiles (Daniel 1:4) aimed to strengthen his intellectual elite. By elevating Daniel, God positioned His servant at the pinnacle of an otherwise pagan institution, ensuring witness to kings and nations (Daniel 4:1, 37). Even when the magicians were disgraced, the office itself remained; Daniel assumed its leadership, sanctifying an existing structure without adopting its corrupt practices. Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty of God: Only the Lord can disclose hidden things (Daniel 2:22). Ministry Lessons • Discernment: Believers must recognize the alluring but empty promises of occult knowledge prevalent in modern culture. Relation to the Wider Canon Earlier confrontations between Moses and Egypt’s chartummim (Exodus 7:11) and later showdowns such as Paul versus Elymas (Acts 13:8-12) echo the Daniel narratives. In each case the Lord vindicates His messengers over occult practitioners, culminating in Christ’s definitive triumph over the “powers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15). Concluding Overview חַרְטֹם serves as a literary and theological counterpoint in Daniel, exposing the bankruptcy of occult wisdom and underscoring the majesty of divine revelation. The pattern established—human impotence, prophetic disclosure, royal acknowledgment—continues to instruct the Church as it proclaims the gospel in a world still fascinated by alternative spiritualities. Forms and Transliterations חַרְטֹּ֖ם חַרְטֻמִּ֣ין חַרְטֻמִּין֙ חַרְטֻמַיָּא֒ חַרְטֻמַיָּא֙ חרטם חרטמיא חרטמין chartTom chartumaiYa chartumMin ḥar·ṭu·may·yā ḥar·ṭum·mîn ḥarṭ·ṭōm ḥarṭṭōm ḥarṭumayyā ḥarṭummînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:10 HEB: שְׁאֵ֔ל לְכָל־ חַרְטֹּ֖ם וְאָשַׁ֥ף וְכַשְׂדָּֽי׃ NAS: of any magician, conjurer KJV: at any magician, or astrologer, INT: has asked of any magician conjurer the Chaldeans Daniel 2:27 Daniel 4:7 Daniel 4:9 Daniel 5:11 5 Occurrences |
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