Charm

The gracious effect of attracting and captivating others or the subtle ability to deceive and mislead them.

Charm to attract and captivate others

King Xerxes by Esther

Esther 2:17

A husband by his wife

Proverbs 5:18–19

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

The lovers in the Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 1:15–16 See also Song of Solomon 2:14, Song of Solomon 4:9–10, Song of Solomon 5:16, Song of Solomon 6:4–5, Song of Solomon 7:6

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.

Charm to deceive people

Proverbs 26:24–25 See also Proverbs 6:25–26, Proverbs 31:30

A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

The devil subtly seeks to deceive people

2 Corinthians 11:3, 2 Corinthians 11:14 See also Genesis 3:1–5, Genesis 3:13; Matthew 4:1–11 parallels Mark 1:12–13, Luke 4:1–13

I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Absalom deceived others

2 Samuel 15:1–6

False teachers use charm to deceive others

For their own gain

Romans 16:18 See also Jude 1:16

For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

To draw people away from Jesus Christ

2 Peter 2:18 See also 2 Corinthians 11:13–15

With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

Christians must not be deceived by such charm

Ephesians 4:14, Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 2:4