Search the encyclopedia
42 articles found for “Wise men”
Magi
The Magi were men from the East who, at the time of Jesus' birth, saw a star, came to worship the infant Jesus, and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They appear only in Matthew 2.
Matthew 2
Matthew 2 recounts how the wise men from the east came to worship the infant Jesus, and how Joseph's family fled from Herod to Egypt before settling in Nazareth.
Star of Bethlehem
The Star of Bethlehem is the star in Matthew 2 that the wise men from the east saw and that led them to seek the child born King of the Jews. Scripture calls it "his star."
Frankincense
Frankincense is an aromatic substance made from the resin of trees native to southern Arabia and northeastern Africa. In the Old Testament it was used in the holy incense and the grain offering, and in the New Testament it appears as one of the gifts the wise men presented to the infant Jesus.
Arioch
Arioch appears in Daniel 2 as the captain of the guard (the chief of the officials responsible for the king's protection and for carrying out executions) under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. During the episode of the king's dream, he brought Daniel before the king.
Job 34
Job 34 contains Elihu's second speech. Elihu argues that God never acts unjustly and repays people according to their deeds, and he rebukes Job's complaints against God as words spoken without wisdom.
Tekoa
Tekoa was a town of Judah south of Bethlehem, on the edge of the Judean wilderness. It was the hometown of the prophet Amos and the home of the "wise woman" who urged David to allow Absalom's return.
Proverbs 24
Proverbs 24 contains the closing portion (vv. 1–22) of the collection of "the words of the wise" that begins at Proverbs 22:17, followed by a brief supplementary collection (vv. 23–34). The chapter teaches against envying the wicked and against rejoicing when an enemy falls. It also calls for impartial judgment and warns of the consequences of laziness.
Abel Beth Maacah
Abel Beth Maacah was a city near Dan at the far northern edge of Israel. It is known as the place where Sheba, who rebelled against David, took refuge and met his end through the intervention of a wise woman of the city.
2 Samuel 20
2 Samuel 20 recounts the revolt of Sheba, a Benjamite, and its suppression. Joab kills Amasa and takes command of the army, and a wise woman of Abel of Beth-maacah saves her city. The chapter closes with a list of David's officials.
Proverbs 25
Proverbs 25 opens the collection of "proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out." Through brief images, it teaches about conduct before the king, disputes with neighbors, fitting speech, and self-restraint, and it instructs the reader to feed one's enemy.
Ethan
Ethan is the name of several Israelites in the Old Testament. It refers to "Ethan the Ezrahite," the wise man with whom Solomon is compared in 1 Kings; the figure named in the superscription of Psalm 89 as its author; and Ethan the Levite musician of 1 Chronicles.
Wise Woman of Tekoa
The wise woman of Tekoa is an unnamed woman who appears in 2 Samuel 14. At Joab's request, she used a fabricated story to persuade King David, helping to bring the exiled Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Wise Woman of Tekoa
The wise woman of Tekoa is an unnamed woman described as "wise" in 2 Samuel 14 who, at Joab's request, used a fabricated story to persuade King David to allow the exiled Absalom to return to Jerusalem.
Wise Woman of Abel
The wise woman of Abel is an unnamed woman who appears in 2 Samuel 20. When Joab besieged the city of Abel Beth Maachah in pursuit of Sheba, who had rebelled against David, she negotiated with him and kept the city from being destroyed.
Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Parable of the Ten Virgins is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 25:1–13. It tells of ten virgins waiting for a bridegroom, of whom only the five who had prepared oil in advance entered the wedding feast, and it teaches believers to watch and be ready for the Second Coming.
The House Built on the Rock
The house built on the rock is a parable Jesus told at the close of His sermons in Matthew 7 and Luke 6. It compares the person who hears His words and does them to a man who built his house upon a rock, and the person who hears but does not do them to a man who built his house upon the sand.
Matthew 7:22–27
The closing section of the Sermon on the Mount, which compares those who hear and do the words of Jesus to a house built upon a rock, and those who only hear them to a house built upon the sand. It is frequently cited in discussions of the relationship between faith and works and between spiritual gifts and salvation.
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14 is the chapter in which Joab uses a wise woman of Tekoa to persuade David, and Absalom, who had fled to Geshur, returns to Jerusalem and is reconciled with the king after two years.
Proverbs 23
Proverbs 23 belongs to the section known as "the words of the wise." It teaches proper conduct at the table, warns against greed for wealth, gives instruction on disciplining children and honoring parents, and vividly depicts the ravages of drunkenness.