The Chaldean word Magi covers both righteous, God-fearing wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, and prophets, and unrighteous false prophets, astrologers, augerers, soothsayers, and sorcerers. God frequently condemns the latter in His Word, and He has much to say against astrology (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2-5; Isaiah 47:13-14; Daniel 1:20; 2:2, 10, 27; 4:7; 5:7, 11, 15). He has nothing against star-gazing of the astronomical variety. Rendering Magi as "astrologers," as the Phillips paraphrase does, is obviously incorrect and illogical when Matthew 2 is studied alongside other scriptures. The wise men who visited Jesus were not aimlessly following a moving star. They knew in advance whose star it was, whom they were visiting, and that their purpose was to worship Him. Heathen, idolatrous astrologers would be highly unlikely to travel hundreds of miles to honor the son of a Deity they did not worship. These Magi were therefore not pagan astrologers. Given the earlier Diaspora of the Hebrews, they were more likely descendants of exiled Israelites or Jews, sent to recognize the birth of a scion of David's line.