The word Magi is a Chaldean term left untranslated in the New Testament Greek, and it was well known across the Middle East. It covers righteous, God-fearing wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, prophets, and interpreters of dreams, as well as false prophets, astrologers, soothsayers, and sorcerers, whom God repeatedly condemns. Most versions rightly render it as wise men. Renderings such as astrologers (Phillips) are illogical and incorrect, and stargazers is also misleading. God has nothing against astronomical star-gazing, though He condemns astrology (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2-5; Isaiah 47:13-14; Daniel 2). The Magi who visited Jesus belonged to the God-fearing kind. They did not follow the star aimlessly. They knew beforehand whose star it was, whom they were going to visit, and that they were coming to worship Him. Idolatrous pagan astrologers would hardly travel hundreds of miles to honor the son of a Deity they did not worship. These Magi were therefore not pagan astrologers. Because the Hebrews had been scattered in earlier centuries, they were most likely descendants of exiled Israelites or Jews, sent to recognize the birth of a descendant of David.