What Were The Names of the Three Wise Men?
We really don’t know the names of the magi because the Bible doesn’t tell us. In fact, the Bible is silent on how many wise men visited Jesus. However, tradition has it that three wise men came to seek and honor the infant Jesus and that they were named Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.
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The Magi
The three wise men, also known as magi, were men belonging to: “various educated classes. Our English word ‘magicians’ comes from this same root. But these ‘wise men’ were not magicians in the modern sense of sleight-of-hand performers. They were of noble birth, educated, wealthy, and influential. They were philosophers, the counselors of rulers, learned in all the wisdom of the ancient East. The wise men who came seeking the Christ child were not idolaters; they were upright men of integrity” (All quotations in this article, not from the Bible, are taken from the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, page 288. More information on this topic can be found in the book Desire of Ages, chapter 6).
“They studied the Hebrew Scriptures and found there a clearer transcript of truth.”
“They studied the Hebrew Scriptures and found there a clearer transcript of truth. In particular, the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament claimed their attention, and among these they found the words of Balaam.” “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17, NKJV). They were also acquainted with the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). “They probably also knew and understood the time prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:25, 26) and came to the conclusion that the Messiah’s coming was near.”
“On the night of Christ’s birth, a mysterious light appeared in the sky, which became a luminous star that persisted in the western heavens [Matthew 2:1, 2]. Impressed with its import, the wise men turned once more to the sacred scrolls. As they sought to understand the meaning of the sacred writings, they were instructed in dreams to go in search of the Messiah. Like Abraham, they knew not at first where they were to go, but followed as the guiding star led them on their way.”
Gifts of the Three Wise Men
“The tradition that there were but three wise men arose from the fact that the Bible mentions three gifts” (gold, frankincense and myrrh) in Matthew 2:11. However, the Bible doesn’t say how many wise men made the journey to see the baby Jesus. “The unfounded idea that they were kings was deduced from Isaiah.” “The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3).
Such questions are interesting to ponder, but they are not essential Bible truths. What the wise men’s names were or whether there were three, five or ten doesn’t change the miracle of their careful study, long journey, and worshipful visit. Following God’s prophetic guidance, they arrived right on time to alert the people of Israel to the birth of a new King. Through the nudging of the Holy Spirit, they brought worship to affirm Christ’s Messiahship and gifts to pay for His escape from an evil king. The part these wisemen played in the plan of salvation is of much more significance than their number or their names. They chose to be part of God’s plan and for that they are remembered today.
