Person New Testament
Jambres
Jambres was an Egyptian magician who, along with Jannes, opposed Moses. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 2 Timothy 3:8.
Why it matters. Egyptian magician who opposed Moses
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Jambres
Jambres is mentioned in 2Ti.3.8 as one of two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses during the events of the Exodus. Along with Jannes, Jambres is said to have resisted Moses, likely referring to the magicians' attempts to duplicate the miracles performed by Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (Exodus 7-8). Although not named in the Old Testament, Jewish tradition identified these two magicians and passed down their names. Paul's use of these names in 2 Timothy suggests that the story of Jannes and Jambres was well-known among his audience and served as an example of those who resist the truth. The text does not provide any further details about Jambres' life or the extent of his opposition to Moses.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
2 Timothy (1 verse)