The Greek that is translated in English as “magic art” or similar is translated in the German Luther Bible 2017 as Schwarze Kunst or “black magic.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
See also practice magic.
μαγικῆς δὲ ἐμπαίγματα κατέκειτο τέχνης,
καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ φρονήσει ἀλαζονείας ἔλεγχος ἐφύβριστος·
7The delusions of their magic art lay humbled,
and their boasted wisdom was scornfully rebuked.
The Greek that is translated in English as “magic art” or similar is translated in the German Luther Bible 2017 as Schwarze Kunst or “black magic.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
See also practice magic.
The delusions of their magic art lay humbled: This is a reference to the Egyptian magicians trying to duplicate the plagues. In Exo 7.11, 22 and 8.7 they succeeded, but later, as described in Exo 8.18 and 9.11, they failed. This line may be rendered “The illusions that their magicians could produce were as nothing compared to this [the flashing light].”
And their boasted wisdom was scornfully rebuked: Good News Translation provides a good model for this line.
We may restructure the verse as follows:
• They had depended on the illusions that their magicians could perform, and had boasted about their great wisdom, but all of this proved useless [or, came to nothing].
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.
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