Albert Barnes Commentary Daniel 1:20

"And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm." — Daniel 1:20 (ASV)

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding - The margin reads, "of." The Hebrew is, "Everything of wisdom of understanding." The Greek, "In all things of wisdom and knowledge." The meaning is, in everything that required particular wisdom to understand and explain it. The points submitted were such as would appropriately come before the minds of the sages and magicians who were employed as counselors at court.

He found them ten times better - Better counselors, better informed. The Hebrew says, "ten hands above the magicians;" that is, ten times, or many times. In this sense, the word "ten" is used in Genesis 31:7, 41; Numbers 14:22; Nehemiah 4:12; and Job 19:3. They greatly surpassed them.

Than all the magicians - Greek, τοὺς ἐπαοιδοὺς tous epaoidous. The Greek word means "those singing to." It then refers to those who propose to heal the sick by singing, and subsequently to those who practice magical arts or incantations—particularly with the idea of charming with songs. Ultimately, it describes those who accomplish anything surpassing human power by mysterious and supernatural means (Passow). The Hebrew word (הרטמים chareṭummı̂ym) occurs only in the following places in the Scriptures, in all of which it is rendered "magicians": Genesis 41:8, 24; Exodus 7:11, 22; Exodus 8:7, 18, 19; Exodus 9:11; Daniel 1:20; and Daniel 2:2. From this, it appears that it applied only to the magicians in Egypt and in Babylon, and doubtless substantially the same class of persons is referred to.

It is found only in the plural number, perhaps implying that they formed companies, or that they were always associated together, so that different persons performed different parts in their incantations.

The word is defined by Gesenius to mean, "Sacred scribes, skilled in the sacred writings or hieroglyphics—ἱερογραμματεῖς hierogrammateis—a class of Egyptian priests." It is, according to him (Lexicon), of Hebrew origin, and is derived from חרט chereṭ—"stylus"—an instrument of writing, and the formative מ (m). He suggests it is not improbable that the Hebrews with these letters imitated a similar Egyptian word. Professor Stuart (in loc.) says that the word would be correctly translated "pen-men," and supposes that it originally referred to those who were "busied with books and writing, and skilled in them." It is evident that the word is not of Persian origin, since it was used in Egypt long before it occurs in Daniel.

A full and very interesting account of the Magians and their religion may be found in Creuzer, Mythologie und Symbolik, i. pp. 187-234. Herodotus mentions the "Magi" as a distinct people (i. 101).

The word "Mag" or "Mog" (from the μάγοι magoi of the Greeks, and the "magi" of the Romans) properly means a "priest." At a very early period, the names "Chaldeans" and "Magi" were interchangeable, and both were regarded as belonging to the same class (Creuzer, i. 187, note). They were doubtless, at first, a class of priests among the Medes and Persians. These priests were employed, among other things, in the search for wisdom; they were connected with pagan oracles, claimed acquaintance with the will of the gods, and therefore professed to have the power of making known future events by explaining dreams, visions, preternatural appearances, and so on.

The Magi formed one of the six tribes into which the Medes were formerly divided (Herodotus, i. 101). However, on the downfall of the Median empire, they continued to retain a great degree of power and authority at the court of the conqueror. According to Anthon's Classical Dictionary, "The learning of the Magi was connected with astrology and enchantment, in which they were so celebrated that their name was applied to all orders of magicians and enchanters."

These remarks may explain why the word "magician" came to be applied to this class of men. However, we are not to suppose that the persons referred to in Genesis and Exodus under the Hebrew name given to them (הרטמים chareṭummı̂ym), or those found in Babylon mentioned in the passage before us (to whom the same name is applied), were of that specific class of priests.

The name "magi," or "magician," was so extended as to embrace all who made pretensions to the kind of knowledge for which the magi were distinguished, and hence also became synonymous with the "Chaldeans," who were also celebrated for this. Compare the notes at Daniel 2:2. In the passage before us, it cannot be determined with certainty that the persons were of "Magian" origin, though it is possible, as in Daniel 2:2, they are distinguished from the Chaldeans. All that is certainly meant is that they were persons who laid claim to the power of diving into future events, explaining mysteries, interpreting dreams, working by enchantments, and so on.

And astrologers - האשׁפים hâ'ashâpı̂ym. This word is rendered by the Septuagint as μάγους magous—"magians." So also in the Vulgate, "magos." The English word "astrologer" denotes "one who professes to foretell future events by the aspects and situation of the stars" (Webster).

The Hebrew word אשׁפים 'ashâpı̂ym, according to Gesenius, means "enchanters, magicians." It is probably derived from the obsolete root אשׁף 'âshap—"to cover," "to conceal"—and refers to those who were devoted to the practice of occult arts and the cultivation of recondite and cabalistic sciences.

It is supposed by some philologists to have given rise, by dropping the initial א, to the Greek σοφος sophos—"wise, wise man"—and the Persian sophi, an epithet of equivalent meaning. See Gesenius on the word, and compare Bush on Daniel 2:2.

The word is found only in Daniel (Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2, 10, 27; Daniel 4:7; Daniel 5:7, 11, 15), in every instance rendered "astrologer" and "astrologers." There is no evidence, however, that the science of astrology enters into the meaning of the word, or that the persons referred to attempted to practice divination by the aid of the stars. It is regrettable that the term "astrologer" was used in our translation, as it conveys an implication not found in the original. It is, indeed, in the highest degree probable, that a part of their pretended wisdom consisted in their ability to cast the fates of men by the conjunctions and opposition of the stars, but this is not necessarily implied in the word. Professor Stuart renders it "enchanters."

In all his realm - Not only in the capital, but throughout the kingdom. These arts were doubtless practiced extensively elsewhere, but it is probable that the most skillful in them would be assembled at the capital.