#20 Scribes

#20 Scribes

Greek from Hebrew “man of letters”

As Jesus begins His ministry, among His first and strongest critics and challengers will be the Scribes ... and they are formidable. They pose a serious and uncompromising opponent. To view them with our modern definition of “scribe” is a total mistake. We must read of them in the New Testament with the understanding of the title “scribe” at that time.

Before the Babylonian captivity, in the time of the Hebrew monarchy, Scribe was the title of a court official, a secretary, a public writer who copied the law. During the Hellenistic period, when Jewish law was threatened by pagan and Greek influences, they became the defenders and teachers of the law to the common people as well as to the magistrates of the law.

Over time their professional position, influence, and power greatly increased within the Jewish nation. They were held in the highest esteem and demanded and received the highest respect from both the general public and Jewish leaders. The time came when the words of the scribes were honored above the law. It was a greater crime to offend against them than against the law.

Alfred Edersheim:

‘In trying to picture to ourselves New Testament scenes, the figure most prominent, next to those of the chief actors, is that of the Scribe. He seems ubiquitous; we meet him in Jerusalem, in Judea, and even in Galilee. Indeed, he is indispensable, not only in Babylon, which may have been the birthplace of his order, but among the dispersion also. Everywhere he appears as the mouthpiece and representative of the people; he pushes to the front, the crowd respectfully giving way, and eagerly hanging on his utterances, as those of a recognized authority. He has been solemnly ordained by the laying on of hands; and is the Rabbi, great one, Master. He puts questions; he urges objections; he expects full explanations and respectful demeanor. Indeed, his hyper-ingenuity in questioning has become a proverb. There is not measure of his dignity, nor yet limit to his importance. He is the lawyer, the well-plastered pit, filled with the water of knowledge, out of which not a drop can escape, in opposition to the weeds of untilled soil of ignorance. He is the Divine aristocrat, among the vulgar herd of rude and profane country people, who know not the Law, and are cursed. More than that, his order constitutes the ultimate authority on all questions of faith and practice; he is the Exegete of the Laws, the teacher of the Law, and along with the chief priests and elders a judge in the ecclesiastical tribunals, whether of the capital or in the provinces. Although generally appearing in company with the Pharisees, he is not necessarily one of them ... for they represent a religious party, while he has status, and holds an office. In short, he is the Talmid or learned student, the Chakham or sage, whose honour is to be great in the future world. Each Scribe outweighed all the common people, who must accordingly pay him every honour. Nay, they were honoured of God Himself, and their praises proclaimed by the angels; and in heaven also, each of them would hold the same rank and distinction as on earth. Such was the respect paid to their sayings, that they were to be absolutely believed, even if they were to declare that what was at the right hand was actually at the left, or vice versa.’

When we read of the events, activities and sayings of the Scribes against this background, it gives us a whole new perspective as to what is taking place and why.

Glenn R. McGettigan