Lexical Summary Rab-mag: Chief Magi, Chief of the Magi, or Chief Officer Original Word: רַב־מָג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Rab-mag From rab and a foreign word for a Magian; chief Magian; Rab-Mag, a Bab. Official -- Rab-mag. see HEBREW rab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rab and a word of foreign origin Definition perhaps "chief soothsayer," an official of the Bab. king NASB Translation Rab-mag (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָ֑ג noun masculine soothsayer, magian (loan-word from Assyrian ma——u, soothsayer, DlHWB 397; perhaps originally Sumerian, DlHA 14); — רַבמָֿ֑ג Jeremiah 39:3,13 chief-soothsayer, in train of Nebuchadrezzar. מַגְבִּישׁ V. גבשׁ מִגְבָּלֹת see גבל. מִגְבָּעוֺת see גבע. מגד (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Function רַב־מָג (rab-mag) designates a senior Babylonian court office normally translated “chief of the magi” or “chief priest of the magicians.” The compound title links רַב (“chief, great”) with מָג (“magus, wise man, magician”). In the Neo-Babylonian bureaucracy the rab-mag ranked among the highest counselors, combining military authority with priestly oversight of the scholars who interpreted omens, dreams, and celestial signs for the crown. Occurrences in Scripture Jeremiah alone records the title, attached to the name Nergal-sharezer when Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar II: The dual appearance underlines a deliberate literary pattern: the rab-mag is first present when divine judgment descends on the city, then reappears when the prophet of the LORD is vindicated and protected. Historical and Cultural Background Cuneiform sources confirm that magāru officials occupied privileged posts in Babylon, serving as intermediaries between the king and the realm of the gods. They advised on campaigns, coronations, and building projects. The rab-mag therefore stood at the intersection of religion, science, and politics—an embodiment of Babylon’s intellectual pride. Nergal-sharezer (possibly identical with Neriglissar, who later reigned 560–556 B.C.) would have commanded both troops and temple scholars. His presence in the “Middle Gate” (Jeremiah 39:3) signals Babylon’s complete administrative takeover of Jerusalem. Theological Reflections 1. Sovereignty of God over Pagan Wisdom. The LORD had foretold through Isaiah and Jeremiah that Babylon would be His tool of discipline (Jeremiah 25:9). By specifically naming the rab-mag, Scripture shows that even the pinnacle of pagan wisdom could not thwart divine decree. Lessons for Ministry • Engage Culture without Fear. Jeremiah remained faithful in the heart of an idolatrous power structure; modern believers can serve God confidently within secular institutions. Related Terms and Themes Rabsaris (“chief eunuch”), Rab-shakeh (“chief cupbearer”) – complementary titles showing the graded hierarchy of Near-Eastern courts. See also Daniel 2:2; Daniel 4:6 for “Chaldeans” and “magicians,” and Acts 13:6–12 for New-Testament encounters with magi and sorcerers. Summary רַב־מָג represents Babylon’s highest class of spiritual-political advisers. Its brief but pointed appearance in Jeremiah underscores God’s control over worldly wisdom, His faithfulness to His prophet, and the larger biblical theme of Gentile sages drawn—willingly or unwittingly—into the outworking of redemptive history. Forms and Transliterations מָ֑ג מָ֔ג מג Mag māḡLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 39:3 HEB: אֶ֙צֶר֙ רַב־ מָ֔ג וְכָל־ שְׁאֵרִ֔ית NAS: Nergal-sar-ezer [the] Rab-mag, and all KJV: Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue INT: the Rab-saris Nergal-sar-ezer Rab-mag and all the rest Jeremiah 39:13 |
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, be glorious, excel in glory).