Ἰαμβρῆς

Jambres

Definition

Ἰαμβρῆς (Jambres) is the name of a magician or sorcerer who, along with Jannes, opposed Moses before Pharaoh in the Old Testament narrative. This name appears only in the New Testament, specifically in 2 Timothy 3:8, where Paul references these two figures as historical examples of those who resist the truth. The term specifically denotes a practitioner of deceptive, supernatural arts aligned against God's purposes. While the name Jambres does not appear in the Hebrew Old Testament, the event is recorded in Exodus 7:11, 22, where Pharaoh's magicians imitate Moses's signs.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in 2 Timothy 3:8. It is employed in a polemical context where the apostle Paul draws a parallel between the false teachers opposing Timothy and the ancient Egyptian magicians Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses. The usage is typological, using a known tradition to warn against corrupt individuals who resist the truth.

Etymology

The name Ἰαμβρῆς (Iambrēs) is a Greek transliteration, likely from a Hebrew or Aramaic source. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it is preserved in Jewish extrabiblical tradition (e.g., the Targums) as the name of one of Pharaoh's magicians. The Greek form was standardized through usage in Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian writings.

Semantic Range

Jambres serves as a significant theological archetype for active, deceptive opposition to God's revealed truth. In 2 Timothy 3:8-9, Paul uses Jambres and Jannes to illustrate that resistance to divine authority is futile and will be exposed, just as the Egyptian magicians were ultimately defeated (Exodus 8:18-19). This underscores the biblical theme that God's power and truth will prevail over all counterfeit spiritual forces. Understanding this reference enriches the reading of 2 Timothy by connecting New Testament warnings to a foundational Old Testament pattern of rebellion.

In the first-century Jewish and Christian cultural setting, the names Jannes and Jambres were well-known from popular tradition as the archetypal pagan magicians who opposed God's prophet. This extra-biblical tradition filled in the unnamed magicians from Exodus. The reference would have been immediately understood by Timothy as symbolizing learned but spiritually corrupt opposition, akin to the Hellenistic philosophers or false teachers of the day.

μάγος (magos, G3097) — a broader term for a magician or wise man, which can be neutral (the Magi in Matthew 2) or negative; γόης (goēs, G1114) — a sorcerer, imposter, often with a negative connotation of deceitful practice.

Word Details

Scripture References