The scribes’ original aim was in earnest-to know and preserve the Law and encourage others to keep it. They knew the Law, and they taught it to others, but they did not obey it. Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, He thoroughly condemned the scribes for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23). A large portion of Jesus’ sermon then dealt with what the people had been taught (by the scribes) and what God actually wanted (Matthew 5:21–48). At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shocked His audience by declaring that the righteousness of the scribes was not enough to get anyone to heaven (Matthew 5:20). This led to many confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes. Things became so bad that the regulations and traditions the scribes added to the Law were considered more important than the Law itself. They became professionals at spelling out the letter of the Law while ignoring the spirit behind it. The scribes went beyond interpretation of Scripture, however, and added many man-made traditions to what God had said. They were widely respected by the community because of their knowledge, dedication, and outward appearance of Law-keeping. They were teachers of the people (Mark 1:22) and interpreters of the Law. In the New Testament era, scribes were often associated with the sect of the Pharisees, although not all Pharisees were scribes (see Matthew 5:20 12:38). Jews became increasingly known as “the people of the Book” because of their faithful study of Scripture, particularly the Law and how it should be followed. We can thank the Jewish scribes for preserving the Old Testament portion of our Bibles. The scribes took their job of preserving Scripture very seriously they would copy and recopy the Bible meticulously, even counting letters and spaces to ensure each copy was correct. Ezra, “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses,” was a scribe (Ezra 7:6). They were also hired on occasions when the need for a written document arose or when an interpretation of a legal point was needed. Scribes in ancient Israel were learned men whose business was to study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it.
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