Exodus 9:11

9:11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

Daniel 1:20

1:20 In every matter of wisdom and ¹  insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times ²  better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.

Daniel 2:10-12

2:10 The wise men replied to the king, “There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king’s secret, ³  for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man. 2:11 What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!” ⁴ 

2:12 Because of this the king got furiously angry ⁵  and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel 4:7

4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me.

Daniel 5:6-8

5:6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face ⁶  and he became alarmed. ⁷  The joints of his hips gave way, ⁸  and his knees began knocking together. 5:7 The king called out loudly ⁹  to summon ¹⁰  the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed ¹¹  to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple ¹²  and have a golden collar ¹³  placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

5:8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its ¹⁴  interpretation to the king.

¹ tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.

² tn Heb “hands.”

³ tn Aram “matter, thing.”

⁴ tn Aram “whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

⁵ tn Aram “was angry and very furious.” The expression is a hendiadys (two words or phrases expressing a single idea).

⁶ tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”

⁷ tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”

⁸ tn Aram “his loins went slack.”

⁹ tn Aram “in strength.”

¹⁰ tn Aram “cause to enter.”

¹¹ tn Aram “answered and said.”

¹² sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.

¹³ tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).

¹⁴ tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishra’) of the Kethib.