Ἰαμβρῆς
Iambrēs
G2387 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name; Iambrēs refers to an individual identified in postbiblical Jewish tradition as one of the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses. In the New Testament (2 Timothy 3:8), the name designates a person traditionally associated with magical arts and opposition to truth, specifically as one of Pharaoh's magicians.
Semantic Range
Jambres (named magician of Egypt, opponent of Moses); proper name, archetypal adversary in Jewish and early Christian traditions
Root / Etymology
Form and etymology uncertain; possibly of Egyptian origin, but the specific Egyptian antecedent is not established. The name appears in Greek transliteration of a name from Jewish and later traditions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἰαμβρῆς appears only in 2 Timothy 3:8 in the New Testament, paired with Ἰαννῆς (Iannēs). Neither Ἰαμβρῆς nor Ἰαννῆς are recorded in the Hebrew Bible, but their names are established in postbiblical Jewish literature (Targum Jonathan, various rabbinic sources, and later traditions) as magicians in the court of Pharaoh who opposed Moses. The use in 2 Timothy reflects familiarity with oral or literary traditions circulating in the Second Temple period and thereafter, in which these figures represented archetypal opponents to divine truth, often associated with magical or esoteric knowledge. The name itself does not designate an ethnic or religious identity but serves as a literary and traditional referent. English translations usually transliterate the name as 'Jambres,' without supplying additional explanatory meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Egyptian origin; Jambres, an Egyptian:--Jambres.
Root Family
Ἰαμβρῆς (Iambrēs) — proper name, Egyptian magician, opponent of Moses
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2387-01 |
Ἰαμβρῆς | iambres | N NOM M SG |
Jambres | Jambres | Iambres | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2387-01 |
2 Timothy 3:8 | Ἰαμβρῆς | iambres | N NOM M SG |
Jambres | Jambres | Iambres |