There are three words which are translated "scribe" or "scribes" in the King James Version of the Bible. Two words from the Old Testament are Hebrew, the third word, from the New Testament, is Greek. The first Hebrew word used is caphar, as used to describe Ezra, a "ready scribe in the law of Moses" (Ezra 7:6), and Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, defined "to score with a mark as a tally or record." The second Hebrew word used is capher, used only in the book of Ezra, defined as "a scribe (secular or sacred)." The Greek word found in the New Testament is grammateus, defined as "a writer, i.e. (professionally) scribe or secretary."

      Scribes such as Ezra and Baruch were not limited to copying the words that were spoken to them, but were many times the reader of the words to the people. Nehemiah 8 recounts how the Ezra "brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding" (Nehemiah 8:2). Also in this chapter the writer explains that Ezra "stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose" (v. 4) and that he "opened the book in the sight of all the people" (v. 5). Thus, Ezra not only made copies of the law, but proclaimed the law to the people.

      Baruch was the scribe of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 36, we read that the Lord told Jeremiah to "take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee" (Jeremiah 36:2). Two verses later, Jeremiah called Baruch, "and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book" (Jeremiah 36:4). This was not, however, the extent of Baruch's duties as Jeremiah's scribe. He was then instructed to "read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord's house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities" (Jeremiah 36:6). Baruch did as he was commanded and read "in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house" (Jeremiah 36:8). Baruch explained later in the chapter that Jeremiah "pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book" (Jeremiah 36:18).

      The scribes in the time of Jesus were not looked on with much favor from the Lord. Seven times in Matthew 23, Jesus says, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees" (Matthew 23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). The followers of Jesus are often warned, either implicitly or explicitly, to "beware of the scribes" (Mark 12:38, Luke 20:46).

      Not all scribes in New Testament times were looked down upon, however. There were some who helped carry the words of the writers of the New Testament through dictation. Paul used a scribe named Tertius in the writing of his letter to the Romans (Romans 16:22). Peter also, in his first epistle, wrote by the hand of Silvanus (I Peter 5:12).

      Scribes played an important role in preserving and passing down from generation to generation the Word of God.

E-MAIL: Jason Carter, jt_carter@yahoo.com
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