Daniel 1:20 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Magicians and astrologers— These names may perhaps be taken in a good sense, as the wise men in St. Matthew; and the astrologers perhaps were then in general the same as astronomers with us. However, it cannot be collected from these words, that Daniel applied himself to the study of magic arts; but to the sciences of the Chaldees; in the same manner as Moses, long before, had applied himself to the study of the wisdom of Egypt. See Houbigant. The word אשׁפים ashaphim, rendered astrologers, possibly, says Parkhurst, might be derived from ףּנשׁ neshep, to breathe, on account of the divine inspirations that they pretended to. Others have given a different account of the word: צפא tzapha, or sapha, as the Assyrians and Babylonians commonly speak it, signifies to speculate, look about, inquire nicely; which being part of the office of the prophets, they were called zophim. For the same cause, such as spent their time in contemplating the works of nature, the situation of the stars, and their influence on the earth, as the magi (by which word, except in one place, the LXX render אשׁפים ashaphim,) and astrologers did, were named assaphim at Babylon; as much as to say, contemplative men. See Vindic. of Defence, chap. 1: sect. 2.