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The Blue Letter Bible

Dictionaries :: Bewitch

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International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Bewitch:

be-wich' (existemi): There are two Greek words in the New Testament translated "bewitch." The one given above (Ac 8:9,21 the King James Version "bewitched," the Revised Version (British and American) "amazed") has reference to the work of Simon Magus. It means "to be out of one's mind," "to astonish," "to overwhelm with wonder." The other word, baskaino (Ga 3:1), means "to fascinate by false representation." It is by this means the apostle complains they have been led to accept a teaching wholly contrary to the gospel of Christ. Both these words reveal to us something of the difficulty the early teachers had to eradicate the idea so widely held by the Jews and Egyptians especially, that there were certain powers, dark and mysterious, which by certain occult forces they could control. For a long time this had to be contended with as one of the corrupt practices brought into the church by the converts, both from Judaism and heathenism. These words have a reference to the evil eye which for centuries was, and even today is, an important factor in the life of the people of the East. 1Ti 6:20 is a reference to this thought and explains the word "science" (the King James Version) as there used.

Written by Jacob W. Kapp

See DIVINATION

See EVIL EYE

See SORCERY

See SUPERSTITION

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
1 Strong's Number: g940 Greek: baskaino

Bewitch:

primarily, "to slander, to prate about anyone;" then "to bring evil on a person by feigned praise, or mislead by an evil eye, and so to charm, bewitch" (Eng., "fascinate" is connected), is used figuratively in Gal 3:1, of leading into evil doctrine.

2 Strong's Number: g1839 Greek: existemi

Bewitch:

is rendered "bewitch" in Act 8:9, 11, AV, concerning Simon the sorcerer; it does not mean "to bewitch," as in the case of the preceding verb, but "to confuse, amaze" (RV).
See AMAZE, B. No. 1.

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