People & groups
Magi
Visitors from the east who worship the young Jesus in Matthew’s account.
Also called · Wise men · Visitors from the East
What it means
In Matthew 2, they see a star and come to Jerusalem to ask where the newborn king of the Jews is.
They offer three kinds of gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The passage does not give their number or names, or call them kings.
Daniel 2 concerns court specialists required to tell Babylon’s king his dream and its meaning. Elymas in Acts 13 is a sorcerer who tries to prevent the proconsul from believing. Each passage has its own context.
How it appears in the Bible
The star leads them to the child’s location. They enter the house, see Jesus with his mother Mary, worship him, and offer gifts. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they go home by another route.
Translation note
Magi preserves the Greek title; the WEB uses wise men here. The same Greek term has a different sense in Acts 13, where the WEB uses sorcerer.