The Scribes, Jewish Leaders in the First Century a.D. - Rusty Russell

8/13/2019 The Scribes, Jewish Leaders in the First Century a.D. - Rusty Russell

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The Scribes - Jewish Leaders in the First Century AD.

by Rusty Russell

INTRODUCTION

During the time of Jesus Christ there were Jewish teachers who explained the Torah, the law of God, by

translating it (The Targums arise from this group), and giving commentary in the form of Haggadah

(parables and various sayings) and would carefully show how the instructions of the law, for example,

laws relating to the Sabbath and food, were to be lived out in everyday life (Halachah).

At this time, in addition to the written law, volumes of explanations were given, believed to have been

handed down orally by men of God. These oral commandments carried with them great authority. It is

exactly these oral traditions which is referred to in the New Testament. (Mr 7:9; Mt 15; Gal 1:14).

Most of the time the Scribes earned their living by copying and interpreting the law. They were not in

absolute agreement as to their explanations of Scripture, which were usually given in the Beth-hamidrash

(House of study).

In the New Testament the Scribes are mentioned as the "teachers"of the law, the rabbisand the official

leaders of the people, along with the Pharisees, and the Gospels referred to them as "doctors of the Law".

According to the New Testament they sat in the Sanhedrin (Mt 16:21).


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Jesus came into conflict with the Scribes often because He and His disciples did not observe their

traditions. Mr 7 describes an example of Jesus and His followers not observing traditional rules in relation

to the Sabbath and cleanness. In Mt 23, where Jesus pronounces his woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees,

He repeated His prophetic curse upon them, "Woe to you" eight times because of their arrogance,

hypocrisy, self-seeking ambition and scrupulous observances.

HISTORY

Early History of the Scribes

This is properly divided into five periods, indicated by the appellations given to the scribes in successive

times:

The Sopherim, or "scribes," properly so called, lasting from the return from Babylon and ending with the

death of Simon the Just, c. 458-300 B.C., about 160 years.

The Tanaim ( "repeaters," i.e., "teachers" of the law), in NT times, "teachers of the law" (Luke 5:17; Acts5:34).

The Amoraim, or later doctors of the law (Heb., to "expound"), "wise men" and "doctors of the law," who

alone constituted the authorized recorders and expositors of the Halachah (A.D. 220-completion of the

Babylonian Talmud, about A.D. 500).

The Saboraim, or teachers of the law after the conclusion of the Talmud (Heb. to "think, discern"), who

determined the law from a careful examination of all the pros and cons urged by the Amoraim in their

controversies on divine, legal, and ritual questions contained in the Talmud, A.D. 500-657.

The Gaonim, the last doctors of the law in the rabbinic succession. The period of the Gaonim extends

from A.D. 657 to 1034 in Sora, and to 1038 in Pumbaditha.

(See Schurer, History of the Jewish People; Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus; McClintock and Strong,

Cyclopedia).

BACKGROUND

Brief Historical Background of the Scribes

In ancient times the Scribes were Jewish officers who performed duties which included various kinds of

writing, but when the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, thesoferim, or Scribes, were

organized by Ezra into a distinct body. These Scribes became the interpreters and copyists of God's law.

Among these duties, they copied the Pentateuch, the Phylacteries, and the Mezuzoth. (Deut. 6:9).

Once the Canon of Old Testament Scripture was complete, and inspiration of the prophetic period in Old

Testament times had been accomplished, we need to trace the degeneration of these men known as

"Scribes"and the position of power by which they assumed.


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History reveals that foreign influences pervaded the land of Judea throughout the Inter-Testamental

period, and onward to the Christian era. Greek culture and Hellenization threatened the very existence of

Judaism and the chosen people, the Jewish religious leaders determined that the law needed to be

preserved with the most jealous care.

In order to preserve the law of God, it needed to be studied carefully, and all of its precepts needed to be

given application according to the ever-changing way of public and private life in Israel. By developing asystem of rules for people to follow, they forgot the heart and spirit of the law. Their prescriptions did not

allow anyone the freedom to truly seek the LORD.

It seems as though the two main principles of the Scribes were, first, the multiplying of oral traditions in

putting a fence around the law. Second, their interpretation and exposition of Scripture had utterly

destroyed its original meaning. Instead of honoring the law, in reality they were destroying it.

They were so careful in their copying that they counted every letter, and then compared the total number

of the document with that which they were copying from. If the numbers did not match the copy was

burned. They were meticulous in making sure that no words were left out that belonged to the text, norany words admitted improperly.

These Scribes would read the Torah in the synagogues, give commentary, and lecture their disciples.

The Scribes were also called "lawyers"and the "doctors of the law".They were all highly educated from a

young age, and at an appropriate time (some say by the age of 30) they were elected to office.

They were not only copyists of the law, but they were also the preservers of the oral tradition, which

included the commentaries and additions to the law. This oral tradition accumulated over the course of

time into a great mass, and was regarded by most to be equal or even greater than the law itself.

It was to these oral traditions that Jesus so often attacked (see Mark 7:5-13). Even Paul the apostle spoke

of himself as having been at one time "exceedingly zealous of the traditions"of his fathers (Gal 1:14).

The Scribes also developed forced interpretations of the law, attempting to find a hidden meaning in every

word, syllable, and letter. Jesus charged them saying "Woe unto you, lawyers! For you have taken away

the key of knowledge, you entered not in yourselves, and those that were entering in you hindered."(Luke

11:52).

During the time of Jesus Christ the Jewish people were very dependent upon the Scribes. The language ofthe Jews was passing into the Aramaic dialect, and most of the people were unable to understand their

own Torah, and gladly excepted the interpretation which was given by the Scribes.

The people were amazed by the authority in which Jesus spoke "I say unto you".The Scribes had little

patience with sinners while Jesus enjoyed mingling with the people and encouraging them that God loves

them regardless of their sins.


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FENCES AROUND THE LAW

The Scribes Built a Fence Around the Law

Every generation prior to New Testament times had its "sayings of the wise"and these writings were

collected and regarded as essential to understanding the Torah. These writings were considered as equal in

power to the written law and even considered higher and more valuable.

It was even believed that the oral law had been given by God Himself along with the written law to Moses

on Mount Sinai. It was taught that the written law cannot be understood without the oral, and therefore the

oral law was more important just like water and wine, both are important but one is much more valuable

in the marketplace.

By building a "hedge about the law"or fence around the law, the Jewish leaders would be able to develop

a system of rules and interpretations that would keep people as far from sin as possible. For example, if

the law said not to work on the Sabbath day, they would make up volumes of rules that indicated exactly

what actions constituted work.

This made a huge separation between the so-called righteous and the sinners. It also made following God

a burden that Jesus Himself said was to heavy to carry. It also allowed the leaders appear to be righteous,

to approve and disapprove of people and to control all of the religious affairs within Judaism.

Jesus was diametrically opposed to these leaders, their teaching and traditions, and He said that they

"made the Word of God void"and they were "making disciples of hell."

THEIR TEACHINGS

Interpretation and Exposition of the Scribes

There's no doubt that the Scribes were diligent about preserving The written Word. They even went

through painstaking methods of copying the Torah. Yet, they were intent on discovering hidden meanings

not only in every word, but in every syllable and every letter of every word. Their investigation of the

letter of the law was destructive of all spiritual instruction.

Jesus clearly denounced peoples dependence upon the "tradition of the elders"(Mark 7:7,8) and he

pronounced Woe to those "lawyers"who had taken away the key of knowledge, entering not in

themselves, and hindering those who are trying to enter.

When the Bible says that after Jesus had spoken they had been "astonished at His doctrine, for he taught

them as one having authority, and not as their Scribes" (Matt. 7:28-29), there's no doubt about the contrast

of Jesus teaching and that of the Scribes.


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THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIBES

There's no doubt that the Scribes were diligent about preserving The written Word. They even went

through painstaking methods of copying the Torah. Yet, they were intent on discovering hidden meanings

not only in every word, but in every syllable and every letter of every word. Their investigation of the

letter of the law was destructive of all spiritual instruction.

Jesus clearly denounced peoples dependence upon the "tradition of the elders"(Mark 7:7,8) and he

pronounced Woe to those "lawyers"who had taken away the key of knowledge, entering not in

themselves, and hindering those who are trying to enter.

When the Bible says that after Jesus had spoken they had been "astonished at His doctrine, for he taught

them as one having authority, and not as their Scribes" (Matt. 7:28-29), there's no doubt about the contrast

of Jesus teaching and that of the Scribes.

NEW TESTAMENT SCRIBES

The "Scribes in the New Testament are also referred to as "lawyers"who were the legal jurists of their

day. They were also referred to as the "teachers of the law"or "rabbis "because they not only studied the

minutia of the law but also explained their interpretation to pupils and to all by whom they were

consulted.

For the most part they were Pharisees and sometimes associated with the Chief Priests. There is no

evidence that any of the scribes were Sadducees. Though they were not a class in Judaism in and of

themselves they were often spoken of alone, as if they were a distinct class of the community, Matt.

17:10; Mark 1:28, 35, 38; 2:6; 3:22.

Throughout the whole life of Christ they were among his most watchful and determined opponents.

THE SCRIBES WERE THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW

The Scribes were called "teachers of the law"and this was their primary task (la escribian, la conocian, la

manejaban, la interpretaban y la enseaban). It was part of the ideal of Judaism that every Israelite should

have a professional acquaintance with the law. The rabbis gathered a large number of disciples to sit and

learn from them. Because the true oral law was never committed to writing, they believed that constant

repetition was necessary so that it would be "fixed"in the minds of the pupils. Therefore in rabbinic

circles the words, "to repeat"mean exactly the same as "to teach." Many questions were asked by the

rabbis to the pupils and likewise the students were granted the privilege of asking questions to the rabbis.

The Scribes were also called rabbis and they demanded from their students absolute reverence, even more

so than the pupils honor for his own father. It was taught that:

"respect to a teacher should exceed respect for a father, for both father and son owe respect to a teacher"

(Kerithoth 6.9).


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Their influence with the people was exceedingly great. That influence was mainly due to the fact that they

appeared to be so learned, they were expounders of the law and they occupied a leading place in the

worship of the synagogue (Matt 23:5). Thus all religious instruction of the day was in their hands. They

taught in schools, in "houses of teaching",in chambers, in the outer courts (colonnades) of the temple in

Jerusalem, in the synagogues, and even in the streets. In fact we can be certain that we have an accurate

picture of one of their sittings, when we are told of the time when Jesus at a young age was found by his

parents in the temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions."(Luke 2:46). In a situation like this the Scribes would sit on an elevated platform, and their students would

sit around them in a semicircle being literally trained at their feet (see Acts 22:5).

The students had only two duties, to commit everything to memory and to teach only what had been

delivered to him.

JURISTS

The Scribes were the Recognized Professionals on the Law

Scribes were passionate about the preserving of the law and the Jewish way of life, and during the last

couple of centuries before Christ the Jewish law gradually became an extensive and complicated science.

This academic development of the law was unwritten and propagated by oral tradition. If one was to

pursue it, it would take intense study to obtain even a general acquaintance with it.

The Scribes felt it necessary to discover what was definitely binding and then develop minute details (see

A Fence Around the Law). In order to make their traditions binding upon all, it was necessary to come as

near as possible to a general consensus of opinion. Therefore the entire process of systematizing the law

was carried on by oral discussion and the recognized authorities instructed their pupils in the law and

debated legal questions with each other.

Gradually the theories of the scribes became valid law, and their "wise"teachings and proverbs were taken

as truth.

The recognized authorities would also dwell in central locations to give instruction and render legal

decisions. The judgment of the rabbinical scribes determined what was valid law and they were the power

of the Sanhedrin. In legal matter if there was any reasonable doubt the matter was brought "before the

learned," who pronounced an authoritative decision.

The chief center of Judaism was at Jerusalem until the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. and

then it moved to other localities, such as Jamnia and Tiberias.


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JUDGES

The Scribes were Judges on Matters of the Law

The Scribes also had authority to pass sentence in a court of justice. If a man was experienced in the

interpretation of the law he could be called to the office of judge. The New Testament reveals that Scribes

were among the members of the great Sanhedrin.

After the After the fall of the Jewish state in 70 A.D., the Scribes were recognized as independent judges,

whether they gave judgment collectively or as individuals. Being learned in the law and the commentary

of Scripture, the scribes were specially qualified for delivering lectures and exhortations in the

synagogues. They also had the responsibility of caring for the text of Scriptures.

JESUS AND THE SCRIBES

The Scribes were Condemned by Jesus

Throughout the whole life of Christ the Scribes were among his most watchful and determined opponents.

Their many accusations were continually recorded in the gospel accounts.

They complained that he ate with publicans and sinners (Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30, 15:2). When Jesus said tothe one sick of the palsy , "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee,"(Mark 2:6) the Scribes charged Him with

blasphemy. When he cast out demons they said that He cast them out by "Beelzebub, the prince of the

devils"(Mark 3:22). They would sit and watch Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath day, that theymight find an accusation against him (Luke 6:7). They also were among the Pharisees when they brought

to him the woman caught in adultery, "tempting him, that they might have reason to accuse him"(John

8:3, 6). They were filled with indignation when Jesus performed any miracles (Luke 6:11). They tookcounsel with the chief priests as to how they might destroy him (Mark 11:18), and when Jesus was

brought before Herod , they stood and vehemently accused him (Luke 23:10).

Jesus finally utters a series of woes (curses) upon the Scribes in Matt. 23.

Jesus did not condemn all Scribes and in fact they were not all bad. Nicodemus and Gamaliel were scribes

and Hillel also for that matter. The young ruler who came to Jesus asking questions was no doubt a Scribeand Jesus said to him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God,"(Mark 12:32-34) and He referred to

some of His followers who would go to proclaim His truth as "scribes"(Matt 23:34).

For the most part, however, they were considered to be cursed and the spirit of their instructions and

teaching, as seen by all the records of them in the Talmud, are the very antithesis of that of the gospel of

Christ.

The determined hatred of the Scribes and their opposition to Jesus were no doubt a part of every event that

led to the death of Jesus.


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HALACHAH AND HAGGADAH

Rabbinical Customs and Commentary

In the developing and establishment of the law there evolved a law of custom, besides the written Torah

(law), called the Halachah (Heb. halaka, "that which is current and customary").

The treatment of the historical and didactic portions of the Holy Scriptures produced an abundant variety

of historical and instructive commentary, usually comprised under the name of the Haggadah (Heb.

haggada, "narrative, legend").

The Halachah.

The Halachah contained "either simply the laws laid down in Scripture, or else derived from or traced to it

by some ingenious and artificial method of exegesis; or added to it, by way of amplification and for

safety's sake; or, finally, legalized customs. They provided for every possible and impossible case, entered

into every detail of private, family, and public life; and with iron logic, unbending rigor, and most minute

analysis pursued and dominated man, turn whither he might, laying on him a yoke which was truly

unbearable. The return which it offered was the pleasure and distinction of knowledge, the acquisition of

righteousness and the final attainment of rewards" (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus, 1:98).

The Haggadah.

The Haggadah was "an amplification and remodeling of what was originally given, according to the views

and necessities of later times. It is true that here also the given text forms the point of departure, and that a

similar treatment to that employed in passages from the law takes place in the first instance. The history is

worked up by combining the different statements in the text with each other, completing one by another,

settling the chronology, etc. Or the religious and ethical parts are manipulated by formulating dogmatic

propositions from isolated prophetic utterances, by bringing these into relation to each other, and thusobtaining a kind of dogmatic system. A canonical book of the Old Testament (Book of Chronicles)

furnishes a very instructive example of the historical Midrash (i.e., exposition, exegesis). A comparison of

its narrative with the parallel portions of the older historical books (Kings and Samuel) will strike even the

cursory observer with the fact that the chronicler has enlarged the history of the Jewish kings by a whole

class of narratives, of which the older documents have as good as nothing" (Schurer, History of the Jewish

People, div. 2, 1:339 ff.).

THE SCRIBES IN THE BIBLE

Mark 2:16And when the scribesand Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his

disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

Acts 23:9And there arose a great cry,and the scribes[that were] of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove,

saying, We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

Jeremiah 8:8How do ye say, We [are] wise, and the law of the LORD [is] with us? Lo, certainly in vain

made he [it]; the pen of the scribes[is] in vain.


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Matthew 23:34- Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of

them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute

[them] from city to city:

Matthew 23:15- Woe unto you, scribesand Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make

one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Luke 19:47- And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribesand the chief of the

people sought to destroy him,

Mark 3:22- And the scribeswhich came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the

prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Matthew 5:20- For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the

scribesand Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 12:38- And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long

clothing, and [love] salutations in the marketplaces,

Luke 11:53- And as he said these things unto them, the scribesand the Pharisees began to urge [him]

vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Matthew 23:23- Woe unto you, scribesand Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and

cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye

to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Matthew 16:21- From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto

Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised

again the third day.

Mark 15:1- And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and

scribesand the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried [him] away, and delivered [him] to Pilate.

Luke 20:46- Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets,

and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

Matthew 23:14- Woe unto you, scribesand Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for

a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mark 14:43- And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great

multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribesand the elders.

1 Chronicles 2:55- And the families of the scribeswhich dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites,

[and] Suchathites. These [are] the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Matthew 21:15- And when the chief priests and scribessaw the wonderful things that he did, and the


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children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

Matthew 23:27- Woe unto you, scribesand Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,

which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.

Mark 8:31- And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of

the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

2 Chronicles 34:13- Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens, and [were] overseers of all that

wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites [there were] scribes, and officers, and

porters.

Matthew 26:3- Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people,

unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

Mark 14:1- After two days was [the feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests

and the scribessought how they might take him by craft, and put [him] to death.

Luke 20:1- And it came to pass, [that] on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and

preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribescame upon [him] with the elders,

Luke 20:19- And the chief priests and the scribesthe same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they

feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

Mark 7:5- Then the Pharisees and scribesasked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the

tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

Mark 10:33- [Saying], Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the

chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the

Gentiles:

Mark 11:18- And the scribesand chief priests heard [it], and sought how they might destroy him: for they

feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Nave's Topical Bible Outline on Scribe(s)

A writer and transcriber of the law - 2 Samuel 8:17; 20:25; 1 Kings 4:3; 2 Kings 12:10; 18:37; 19:2; 1Chronicles 24:6; 27:32; Nehemiah 13:13; Jeremiah 36:12

The kings secretary (official recordist) - 2 Kings 12:10-12; 22:1-14; Esther 3:12; 8:9 The mustering officer of the army - 2 Kings 25:19; 2 Chronicles 26:11 Instructors in the law - Matthew 7:29; 13:52; 17:10; 23:2,3 They test Jesus with questions, bringing to Jesus a woman Caught in the act of adultery - John 8:3


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Members of the council (Sanhedrin) - Matthew 2:4 Conspire against Jesus - Matthew 26:3,57; 27:41; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:66 Hypocrisy of, reproved by Jesus - Matthew 5:20; 9:3; 12:38; 15:1; 16:21; 20:18; 21:15

Scriptures

Matthew 7:29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Matthew 13:52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of

heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

Matthew 17:10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come

first?"

Matthew 23:2-32saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

3Therefore whatever they tell

you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

Matthew 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired

of them where the Christ was to be born.

Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of

the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

Matthew 26:57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the

scribes and the elders were assembled.

Matthew 27:41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,

Mark 14:1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests

and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.

Luke 22:66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together

and led Him into their council, saying,

Matthew 5:20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and

Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 9:3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"

Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign

from You."

Matthew 15:1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,

Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and

suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third

day.


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Matthew 20:18 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief

priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,

Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the

children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant.

THE SCRIBES IN DICTIONARY ENTRIES

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

Theological Word Book of the Old Testament

THE SCRIBES IN ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRIES

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

SCRIBES[Hebsp erm; Gkgrammates]. A class of literate professionals ranging from copiers,

secretaries, and government officials in the earlier OT period to special scholars and teachers of the Torah

in the postexilic and NT periods.

I. IN THE PREEXILIC ERA

II. IN THE EXILIC AND POSTEXILIC ERAS

III. IN JUDAISM

IV. IN THE GOSPELSV. THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

I . In the Preexili c Era

The importance of scribes (in the basic sense of those trained to read

and write) goes back to the first use of writing in the ancient centers of

civilization, Babylon and Egypt. Clearly these skills automatically

made the scribe botha necessary and a powerful member of society.

The ruling class depended on the scribesfor a great variety of

practical matters, and gradually scribes evolved from mere copiers

and recorders to influential members of the government and

representatives of the king.

This increasing importance of the scribe is apparent in the early

occurrences of the word in the OT. Scribes in the role of secretary of

state are regularly listed among the cabinet members of the government

(e.g., 2Sa 8:17; 20:25; 1Ki 4:3; Jer 36:12). They continue to function

practically as secretaries with a variety of responsibilities, such as

keeping official financial records (2 K. 12:10; 2 Ch. 24:11) andA statue of a Greek scribe writing ona tablet, found at Thebes in central

Greece, 6th centB.C.


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mustering troops (2 K. 25:19; 2 Ch. 26:11). But they also assume considerable importance and authority

as personal secretaries and counselors of the king (2 K. 18:18; 22:3; 1 Ch. 27:32; cf. Ps. 45:1 [MT 2]).

Levite scribesmentioned in 1 Ch. 24:6 and 2 Ch. 34:13 foreshadow the later importance of priestly

scribes. The reference to the families of the scribes in 1 Ch. 2:55 indicates the forming of guilds and the

passing down of the scribal profession from father to son.

In a quite natural development, scribes came to be valued not simply for their technical skills but for

the wisdom and understanding they frequently possessed (cf. 1 Ch. 27:32). The scribe thus came to beknown as the wise man (cf. Isa. 33:18, LXX; 1 Cor. 1:20). In the viewpoint that was soon to emerge in

all clarity, the scribe was considered a wise man particularly because of his expertise in the interpretation

and application of the Torah. This close connection between scribes and the Torah is already hinted at in

the reading of the book of the law by Shaphan, the scribe of King Josiah (2 K. 22:10; 2 Ch. 34:18).

I I . I n the Exili c and Postexil ic Eras

The origin of the scribes as a professional class of TORAHscholarsis to be found in the exilic experience

of Israel. During the Exile it was important to know specifically how the Law should be obeyed in a

foreign context, and thus the initial elaborations of the Torah, later known as scribal tradition, came into

existence. This scribal tradition, together with the synagogue, which developed under the same

circumstances, came eventually to dominate Judaism after the destruction of Jerusalem.

A scribe of the exilic period who deserves mention is BARUCH,JEREMIAHS SECRETARY. Baruch is

not identified as a Torah scholar; he is instead a scribe in the earlier sense of the word: he takes down the

prophets dictation (Jer. 36:4, 18), he reads the words as Jeremiahs representative (vv 6, 10, 15), and he

collects and preserves these words (v 32). This points to the probability that one of the important early

tasks of the scribes was the custody and transmission of Israels written scriptures. This work was

indispensable to the gradual emergence of a distinct group of writings that came to be regarded as

canonical.

The key figure of the early postexilic period is the paradigmatic scribe Ezra. Although Ezra is also apriest (Ezr. 7:11; Neh. 8:9; 12:26), it is in his role as scribe that he reestablishes the centrality of the Law

for the people of Israel. When he is first introduced in the book of Ezra, it is as a scribe skilled in the law

of Moses which the Lord the God of Israel had given (Ezr. 7:6) and learned in matters of the

commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel (v 11). He is responsible not only for the reading of

the Torah to the people (Neh. 8:18) but also for its study (v 13), the special province of the scribe. For

these reasons Ezra stands at the head of the emerging class of scribes as Torah scholars.

A wonderful glimpse of the status and nature of the scribe ca 180 B.C. is provided by Ben Sira or

Eclesiasticus (Sir./Ecc 38:2439:11[leer esto en ApocryphaoftheOldTestament.2004,R.H.Charles;TheApocryphaKingJamesVersion;laLXXdeBrenton;LaBibliadeJerusalnyotrasBibliascatlicas]).The passage begins with the words, The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure,

which point to the legitimacy of the scribal calling as a profession in its own right. Furthermore, while

other professions are good and necessary, they are inferior to the scribes. Only the scribe attains

eminence in the public assembly and is sought out for the council of the people; only the scribe can sit

in judgment and expound discipline (38:33). The scribe devotes himself to the study of the law of the

Most High; he will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be concerned with prophecies [a

possible allusion to the threefold OT canon; cf. the prologue to Sirach]; he will preserve the discourse of

notable men [i.e., maintain oral tradition] and penetrate the subtleties of parables (39:1f).


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The scribe will serve among great men and appear before rulers as an ambassador (v 4). He will be

filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom (v 6). He will reveal

instruction in his teaching, and will glory in the law of the Lords covenant (v 8). His memory will not

disappear, and his name will live through all generations (v 9).

I I I . In Judaism

According to MishAbothi.1, Moses received the Torah on Sinai, and handed it down to Joshua; Joshuato the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the Men of the Great

Assembly [kenesehagg

el]. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment; raise up many disciples;

and make a fence around the Torah. Jewish tradition identifies Ezra as the leader of the 120 men of the

Great Assembly. The above description of the assemblys goals is a quintessential definition of the

scribes calling: they were responsible for making decisions in courts of law; they taught the Torah to their

students; and they expounded the meaning and application of the Torah. As Jeremias stated, the scribes

were the possessors of divine esoteric knowledge and, as such, the immediate heirs and successors of

the prophets (Jerusalem,p. 241).

In their role of scholar-teachers the scribes, especially those of the Pharisees, gained enormous

prestige among the people. They possessed considerable power (Jeremias described them as a new upper

class), since they formed a significant portion of the seventy-one-member Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, the

main governing body of Judaism. They were also members of the lesser judiciaries in their respective

localities and frequently held office in the synagogue and civil affairs. They wore special, long robes like

those of the nobility, were given seats of honor, and enjoyed reverential salutations (cf. Mt. 23:57). From

the 1st cent A.D. on they were referred to as Rabbi (my great one) and were to be accorded more

esteem than even ones parents (MishAbothiv.12).

According to the rabbinic literature, scribes were expected to have a practical vocation by which to

support themselves. They were not allowed to earn their living by their scholarship (Mish Abothiv.5; cf.

ii.2;Bekhorothiv.6). This stands in some tension with Ben Siras view that the scribes special callingdemands leisure. According to Matthew, too, the message of the Kingdom is to be given without pay

(Mt. 10:8), although the missionary is to receive his food for his labor (Mt. 10:10; in Lk. 10:7 this is

broadened to wages). Paul, who was himself a scribe, earned his keep by tentmaking rather than by his

preaching, even though he defended the right of missionaries to earn their living from the gospel (1 Cor.

9:314; cf. 1 Tim. 5:18).

All the parties within Judaism had their Torah scholars. Some scribes were priests, some were

SADDUCEES, but the majority were PHARISEES. The scribes of the Pharisees were responsible for

maintaining and developing the oral tradition, and thus for promoting the study and practice of the Torah.

The formal student of the Torah (a talm), after a number of years of undistracted study that included

living with his RABBI, and after demonstrating his expertise in case law, became a qualified scholar (atalmm); but according to the Talmud (T.B. Sotah22b) he could not proceed to ordination (and the

status of m, wise man) until the age of forty. The type of school ( bhammir) to which Ben Sira

invites the unlearned (Sir. 51:23) was to become an institution in the rabbinic Judaism of the centuries

following the destruction of Jerusalem. Before A.D. 70 the schools of Shammai and Hillel became famous

for their vying opinions on certain topics. Later the term scribes was used only for the Torah scholars of

the early period, and amm, wise men, came to be used for contemporary rabbis.


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I V. I n the Gospels

The scribes of the NT are Torah scholars. They are referred to not only as Gkgrammatesbut also as

nomiko(lawyers, i.e., those trained in the application of the Torah), e.g., in Mt. 22:35 (par Mk. 12:28

hasgrammates) and Lk. 11:46, 52 (Mt. 23 refers togrammates). The term nomodidskaloi, teachers of

the Law, occurs in Lk. 5:17 and Acts 5:34 (where it refers to Gamaliel).

The wordgrammatesoccurs fifty-seven times in the Synoptic Gospels, but not once in John (except

in the inferior text of Jn. 8:3). In more than a third of these instances the scribes are linked with thePharisees. Clearly the scribes, as authoritative expositors of the Torah, were particularly important as the

transmitters and developers of the oral tradition that was so central to Pharisaism. In the Gospels scribes

are also linked with other powerful segments of Jewish society, such as chief priests and elders, most of

whom were probably Sadducees. They are consistently presented as Torah or Scripture scholars (e.g., Mt.

2:4; Mk. 7:1 par; 9:11 par; 9:14), teachers (Mk. 1:22 par; 12:35), and guardians of orthodoxy/orthopraxy

(Mk. 2:6 par; 2:16 par; 3:22; 11:27 par; Lk. 6:7; 15:2). On the darker side, they are among the main

instigators of Jesus death (Mk. 8:31 par; 10:33 par; 11:18; 14:1 par, 43, 53 par; 15:1; Lk. 11:53; 20:19;

23:10).

Despite their acknowledged authority (Mt. 23:2) and the seriousness of their quest for righteousness

(cf. 5:20), the scribes associated with the Pharisees receive harsh criticism, particularly in the Gospel of

Matthew. Jesus says that their tradition has canceled out the commandments of God (Mt. 15:3 par), and

He castigates them for their hypocrisy (15:7f par). Six times in Mt. 23:1333 (cf. parallel material in Lk.

11:3952; 20:45f; Mk. 12:38f) the blistering refrain occurs: Woe to you scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! In a seventh woe they are described as blind guides (Mt. 23:16).

Behind this heated polemic lay the very real competition between Jesus and the scribes concerning the

true interpretation of Moses. Jesus, whose authority in the interpretation of the Torah far exceeded that of

the scribes (Mt. 7:29), was for the disciples the one teacher, the one master (23:8, 10). While this

competition went back to Jesus ministry, it was perpetuated between the Church and the synagogue; this

explains the importance and the especially harsh character of the Matthaean material. The criticisms of thescribes and the Pharisees in the Gospels are broad generalizations that need not have applied to all scribes

and Pharisees; certainly they do not apply to scribism and Pharisaism in principle.

Matthew alone identifies as a scribe the man who volunteered to follow Jesus wherever He went (Mt.

8:19; cf. Lk. 9:57). According to Mt. 22:35 it was a lawyer (nomiks; a scribe in Mk. 12:28) who

asked about the great commandment in the law; according to Mk. 12:34 Jesus told him, You are not far

from the kingdom of God.

V. Their Signi fi cance

The professional Torah scholars were charged with the very great responsibility of interpreting the Law.

The scribes, following in the tradition of Ezra their forefather, made the study and teaching of the Law thecenter of their lives. When another scribe came into the picture teaching the dawning of the awaited

Kingdom a scribe neither formally trained nor ordained (cf. Jn. 7:15), who nonetheless spoke with a

unique authority a clash was inevitable. And yet, as much as Jesus had to oppose the scribes, in a real

sense He Himself stood in continuity with their calling. As God had in the past sent scribes to Israel, so in

the new era of the Kingdom He had sent the one teacher and master. Matthew, writing to Jewish

Christians, continued to find significance for the calling of scribe but now the Christian scribe, who is

trained for the kingdom of heaven and likened to a householder who brings out of his treasure what is

new and what is old (Mt. 13:52). In keeping with this, Matthew alone recorded these words of Jesus:


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Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and

some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town (23:34). These words found

their fulfillment in the early missionaries who, functioning as scribes, presented a Christian interpretation

of the Scriptures and the true meaning of the Torah, based on the teaching originally given by their Lord.

Bibliography.DNTT, III, 477482; M. Hengel,Judaism and Hellenism(Engtr 1974), I, 7883, 13138;

HJP2, II, 322336; J. Jeremias,Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus(Engtr 1969), pp. 233245; G. F. Moore,

Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era,I (1927), 2947; SB, I, 7982, 69195; TDNT, I, sv(J. Jeremias).

TheColumbiaencyclopedia(6thed.)scribe, Jewish scholar and teacher (called in Hebrew, Soferim) of law as based upon the Old Testament

and accumulated traditions. The work of the scribes laid the basis for the Oral Law, as distinct from the

Written Law of the Torah. The period of their activity is in doubt. They may have been active from thetime of Ezra (c.444 B.C.) to that of Simeon the Just. In Talmudic literature, the term may be applied to any

interpreter of the Law from Moses to the period just before the compilation of the M ISHNA.

Edersheim's Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. 2, on Matt 23 (Cross and the Crown, chapter IV)

2. ... the Sadducees were some 'Scribes' (Sopherim), or, as they are also designated, 'lawyers,'

'teachers of the Law,' experts, expounders, practitioners of the Jewish Law ...

THE SCRIBES AND THE SEPTUAGINT

Root of Wisdom6 To whom has the root of Wisdom been revealed?

And who knows her subtle ways?

8 Only One is wise: he is to be greatly revered,

the Lord seated on his throne!

9 He himself created her...;

he set her out in all his works.

10 She is with all flesh according to his gift,

and he furnished her to those who love him.

--- Septuagint, Sirach 1:6-10

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Limit to Human Understanding

21 Do not seek what is too hard for you;

and what is too strong for you do not examine.

22 Consider what has been set before you,

for you have no need for what is hidden.


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23 Do not belabor what is bigger than your business [erga],

for you have been shown what is beyond the understanding of men.

24 Taking up these things has made many err;

and a wrong conjecture has made their thinking slip.


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The Scholar's Life

1 Yet he who dedicates his soul

and keeps his mind on the Torah of the Most High

seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients

and is preoccupied with prophecies.

2 He preserves the statements of famous men

and penetrates the twists of parables.

3 He seeks out things hidden [apocrypha] in proverbsand dwells on the puzzles [ainigmata] of parables.

4 He serves among great (men)

and is seen in the presence of leaders.

He passes through the land of foreign nations

to test the good and the evil among men.

5 He devotes his heart to rise early for the Lord who made him'

and petition in the presence of the Highest.

He opens his mouth in prayer

and prays for his sins.

6 If the great Lord (so) wills,

he will be filled with a spirit of understanding.

He will pour out words [rhemata] of wisdom

and acknowledge the Lord in prayer.

7 He will correct his counsel and knowledge

and will keep his mind on hidden things.

8 He will reveal discipline in his teaching

and will glory in the Torah of the Lord's covenant.

9 Many will praise his understanding,

it will not ever be blotted out.Memory of him will not pass away

and his name shall live to the last generations.

10 The nations will describe his wisdom

and the assembly [ekklesia] will proclaim his praise.

11 If he lasts, he will leave a name (greater) than a thousand;

and if he rests, he produced for himself.



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CONCLUSION

The Righteousness of the Scribes

The Scribes were men who had devoted their lives from their youth. Little did they realize that the currentsystem of Judaism was empty and dead. Jesus came to expose that system and reveal that the law was

insufficient to save mens souls and He Himself had come to redeem man from the curse of the law.

Their oral traditions had taken precedence over the written Word of God and Jesus exposed the Jewishauthorities for their greediness, hypocrisy and deception. By developing a system of rules for people to

follow, they forgot the heart and spirit of the law. Their prescriptions did not allow anyone the freedom totruly seek the LORD.

What is amazing is that the Scribes had devoted their lives to the minute details of the Word and thecommentaries that had been passed down by wise men who had also devoted their lives to the minute

details of the law. Yet in all of their learning they had missed the most important reason for the written

Word of God. The fact that the Jewish people existed for one reason, the promised Messiah, the Redeemer

of Israel, AND the Gentiles.

God had faithfully enriched His people with the accurate knowledge of who and what the Messiah was tobe, so that when He comes they would surely not miss Him. When Jesus came to Israel, to what He called

His "home", those who were "His own, received Him not."They missed Him. Jesus wept over the city andsadly announced the impending doom that was to befall her. In 70 AD the Romans came and leveled the

city of Jerusalem.

The Scribes thought that righteousness could come from the law. This will forever remain mans biggest

mystery, that religion is not enough to save a man and religious devotion is not enough to enter the

Kingdom of God. His heart must be humble and honest before Gods Truth.

Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me."

The Scribes, Jewish Leaders in the First Century a.D. - Rusty Russell

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