Strong’s Greek 5332 (φαρμακεύς) designates a practitioner of drug–based sorcery, a poisoner or enchanter. Though the specific form is not found in the Greek New Testament, the idea it carries—using substances, rituals, or incantations to manipulate spiritual powers—runs through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Meaning and Conceptual Range

Far from neutral “medicine,” φαρμακεύς highlights the occult use of compounds or rituals to control people or events. It shades into the practices condemned in the Law and later prophets and culminates in the final judgments of Revelation. The common thread is rebellion against God’s sovereignty by attempting to harness forbidden spiritual power.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Ancient Near-Eastern contexts linked potion-making with divination, necromancy, and astrology.
2. Greek and Roman societies maintained guilds of professional sorcerers who sold spells, charms, and love-potions; the term φαρμακεύς covered all of these.
3. Early rabbinic sources list “drug-sorcery” among capital sins, echoing the Mosaic prohibition.
4. The early church fathers—especially Justin, Tertullian, and Augustine—denounced φαρμακεῖς as agents of demons.

Usage in the Septuagint and Other Greek Texts

The Septuagint employs cognates of φαρμακεύς to translate Hebrew kāshaph (“sorcerer,” “witch”) and leḥašîm (“enchantments”). Typical passages include:
• Exodus 7:11; 22:18
• Deuteronomy 18:10–12
• Isaiah 47:9, 12

These references illustrate Israel’s continual collision with neighboring occult practices and frame the uncompromising ban God placed on them.

Biblical Context of Sorcery and Magic

1. Mosaic Law: “You must not allow a sorceress to live.” (Exodus 22:18)
2. Prophets: Hosea 4:12 and Micah 5:12 predict judgment on such practices.
3. Gospels and Acts: While φαρμακεύς itself does not appear, related confrontations occur—Simon of Samaria (Acts 8:9-24) and Elymas of Cyprus (Acts 13:8-11).
4. Epistles: Paul lists the cognate φαρμακεία among “the works of the flesh” that exclude from the kingdom (Galatians 5:20-21).
5. Revelation: “By your sorcery all the nations were deceived.” (Revelation 18:23). The plural φαρμακοί (21:8) and singular φαρμακός (22:15) describe the impenitent outside the New Jerusalem.

Progressive Revelation and Theological Emphasis

From the Law’s capital penalty to Revelation’s lake of fire, Scripture portrays sorcery not merely as superstition but as active spiritual treason. It counterfeits the Holy Spirit’s power, binds people in deception, and corrupts society. The biblical trajectory intensifies: what the Torah forbids, the prophets denounce, the Gospels expose, the Epistles classify as fleshly bondage, and Revelation shows finally judged.

Warnings and Judgments

• Deuteronomy 18:12 calls sorcery “abominable.”
• Nahum 3:4 links it to harlotry and bloodshed.
• Revelation 21:8 lists sorcerers among “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile,” all destined for “the fiery lake that burns with sulfur.”

Contrasts with the Work of the Holy Spirit

Sorcery seeks power apart from God; the Spirit grants power under God. Acts 19:17-20 records new believers burning valuable occult scrolls, demonstrating repentance and the surpassing worth of Christ’s freedom.

Ministry and Pastoral Implications

1. Discipleship: Teach believers to discern and renounce modern equivalents—occult pharmaceuticals, ritualistic drug culture, “white magic,” and New Age healing that relies on spiritual forces not submitted to Christ.
2. Deliverance: Provide biblical counsel and prayer for those formerly involved in sorcery, emphasizing Jesus’ authority (Luke 10:19).
3. Evangelism: Like Paul at Ephesus, confront deception with the gospel, expecting genuine conversions to yield public repudiation of occult artifacts.
4. Church Discipline: Persistent participation in sorcery warrants corrective steps parallel to any work of the flesh listed in Galatians 5.

Contemporary Relevance

The opioid crisis, hallucinogenic tourism, and the resurgence of witchcraft illustrate that φαρμακεύς is not an ancient curiosity. Christians must evaluate therapies, entertainment, and spiritual practices for hidden alliances with darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

Related Greek Terms

• φαρμακεία (5331) – “sorcery, magic arts” (Galatians 5:20).
• φάρμακον – “drug, potion,” root of the family.
• φαρμακός (5333) – “sorcerer” (Revelation 21:8; 22:15).

Together they form a semantic cluster warning against any manipulative spiritual drugcraft.

Summary

φαρμακεύς encapsulates humanity’s age-old attempt to secure power through forbidden spiritual means. Scripture’s consistent condemnation stems from God’s exclusive right to authority and revelation. The church, therefore, must proclaim freedom in Christ, resist every allure of occult drug-sorcery, and uphold the purity and power of the gospel.