The Arabic word '''Tsabians''' (Greek: Σοβιαΐ) was first translated into Latin as Christians being the '''widespread confused flip-flopping or syncretic polity of regularly God-worshiping devotees''' described in Arabic sources as between Mithreans, Judaizers and Nestorians but who are distinguished from Messianic Noahides and from Jews and from Nestorians and from Magians and from Polytheists. Some of them are described as Hanifian. Those Tsabians who believe in G-d and the Last Day and who keep the Mitzvot are said to have nothing to fear as their reward is with G-d. They were also referred to "Hearers" (ismai'i) i.e. the Uninitiated Audience of the doctrines of [[Ekhasai]] and Mani which has caused all Sobiai to be often simply (and inaccurately) referred to as Hanifian Manicheans even though they were not initiated into the "Great Secret" of Mani's Gnosticism.
In Persian Soghdian they were usually called [[NighòshagànTazig|Tazig, (pl. Tazigan)]] (perhaps derived from Tarsak) while the Arabic term Tsabi and its Hellenized plural form Sobiai are closer to '''[[Theosebeia|Sebomenoi/Sebeoi]]''' (Σεβομενοι/Σεβεοι), the Greek word for Noahites which was Tarsak (pl. Tarsakan) in Persian although the more popular Soghdian Persian word for such Tsabis was originally [[Tazig|Tazig, (pl. Tazigan)Nighòshagàn]] (perhaps derived from Tarsak).
The original Mithreans were called [[Mages]] and the first Mages to become Tsabis are described in Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew but not all Mages did.