14 Bible Verses about Scribes

Most Relevant Verses

Then the leading priests and elders of the [Jewish] people were gathered in the courtroom of the head priest, named Caiaphas.

Now the Passover Festival and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were held two days later. [Note: This was the annual Jewish Festival week commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage under Moses' leadership. The unleavened bread was specially baked bread containing no yeast, which was eaten for seven days as part of the celebration]. And the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses were looking for a way to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.

And the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses were looking for a way to kill Jesus because they were afraid of the people [i.e., that people would riot if it were done during the Festival. See Matt. 26:5].

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

And Jesus was teaching in the Temple every day. But the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses and the leading men of the people were looking [for a way] to kill Him,

The leading priests and experts in the law of Moses heard this and began looking for some way to kill Jesus, because they were afraid of Him, since the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you are like white-washed tombs, used for burial [sites], which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones and decaying flesh of dead people. Even so, you also appear on the outside to be doing right in front of people, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin.

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, "The experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees teach by the authority of Moses. Therefore, observe and practice everything they urge upon you, but do not follow their example [of living] because they say [the right things] but do not do them.read more.
Yes, they require people to bear heavy and difficult responsibilities, and place them on people's shoulders [to carry out], but they themselves will not lift a finger to do them. But they do all their deeds just to be seen by people. They wear elaborate Scripture texts displayed on their clothing and enlarge [conspicuously] the fringes of their robes. They love to recline at the head place at dinner tables [Note: This referred to the practice of lying down on their left side on a couch next to the dinner table, and leaning on their left elbow, while eating with their right hand], and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues. They love the [special] greetings they receive at the open shopping markets and to be addressed as 'Rabbi' [Note: This word signified 'great' or 'master'].

In His teaching Jesus said, "Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk around in long [flowing] robes and to receive special greetings at the open shopping markets and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues and the head places at dinner tables.

Then Jesus said to His disciples in the hearing of all the people, "Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk [around] in long [flowing] robes and love the special greetings they receive at the open shopping markets, and the principal seats in the synagogues, and the head places at dinner tables.

From Thematic Bible


Blindness » Instances of » Scribes

Matthew 9:3

Seeing this, certain experts in the law of Moses said to themselves, "This man is speaking against God."

Pride » Exemplified » Scribes

Mark 12:38-39

In His teaching Jesus said, "Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk around in long [flowing] robes and to receive special greetings at the open shopping markets and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues and the head places at dinner tables.

Scribes » Acted as » Secretaries to kings

Scribes » Acted as » Keepers of the muster-rolls of the host

Scribes » Modern » Regarded as interpreters of scripture

Mark 12:35

As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He responded [to some Pharisees. See Matt. 22:41] by asking, "How is it that the experts in the law of Moses can say that the Christ is the son of David?

Matthew 2:4

So, he gathered all the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses from among the people and asked them where the Christ [child] was to be born.

Matthew 17:10

His disciples asked Him, "Why then [since you are obviously the Messiah] do the experts in the law of Moses say that Elijah must come first, [i.e., before the Messiah]?"

Scribes » Families celebrated for furnishing » Levi

Scribes » Modern » Often offended at out lord's conduct and teaching

Mark 3:22

And the experts in the law of Moses who had come down from Jerusalem were saying [Note: This followed the incident of Jesus healing a man with an evil spirit. See Matt. 12:22-28], "He has Beelzebub [in him]," and "He is driving out evil spirits by [the power of] the chief of evil spirits."

Matthew 21:15

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

Mark 2:6-7

But certain experts in the law of Moses, who were sitting there, began reasoning in their minds, "Why does this man talk this way? He is speaking against God. Who can forgive sins except one, that is, God?"

Scribes » Modern » Persecuted the early Christians

Acts 6:12

And they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the law of Moses and searched for him, seized him and brought him before the Council.

Acts 4:5

And the next day the [Jewish] rulers, elders and teachers of the law of Moses gathered together in Jerusalem.

Acts 4:18

And so they called Peter and John in and warned them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus [anymore].

Scribes » Acted as » Secretaries to prophets

Scribes » Modern » Were doctors of the law

Matthew 22:35

One of them, a teacher of the law of Moses, asked Him a question [in an attempt] to test Him.

Mark 12:28

Then one of the experts in the law of Moses [Note: Matt. 22:34 identifies him as being a Pharisee also], came and heard Jesus and the Sadducees discussing together [i.e., the subject of the resurrection], and knowing that Jesus had refuted the Sadducees successfully, asked Him, "Which commandment is foremost, above all the others?"

Scribes » Modern » Active in procuring our lord's death

Matthew 26:3

Then the leading priests and elders of the [Jewish] people were gathered in the courtroom of the head priest, named Caiaphas.

Luke 23:10

Then the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses stood up and viciously charged Him [i.e., with false accusations].

Scribes » Modern » Their manner of teaching contrasting with that of Christ

Matthew 7:29

for he taught like a person who had authority, instead of like their experts in the law of Moses.

Mark 1:22

They were amazed at His teaching for He taught them as one who had [real] authority, and not as the experts in the law of Moses.

Scribes » Modern » Esteemed wise and learned

1 Corinthians 1:20

Where is the wise person? And where is the expert in the law? [And] where is the debater of this world?

Scribes » Generally men of great wisdom

Scribes » Families celebrated for furnishing » Kenites

Scribes » Acted as » Notaries in courts of justice

Scribes » Acted as » Writers of public documents

Scribes » Acted as » Religious teachers

Scribes » Modern » Wore long robes and loved pre-eminence

Mark 12:38-39

In His teaching Jesus said, "Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk around in long [flowing] robes and to receive special greetings at the open shopping markets and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues and the head places at dinner tables.

Scribes » Modern » Condemned by Christ for hypocrisy

Matthew 23:15

"It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you travel over land and sea [in hope of] making one person a proselyte [i.e., a convert to the Jewish religion]. And when you do convert one, you make him twice as deserving of hell as yourselves.

Scribes » Illustrated of well-instructed ministers of the gospel

Matthew 13:52

Then He said to them, "Therefore every expert in the law of Moses who has been made a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is similar to a [wealthy] homeowner who brought [both] new and old things out of his supply of goods."

Scribes » Wore an inkhorn at their girdles

Scribes » Modern » Sat in moses' seat

Scribes » Families celebrated for furnishing » Zebulun

Scribes » Antiquity of

Scribes » Were ready writers

Scribes » Modern » Were frequently pharisees

Acts 23:9

A loud commotion developed [in the Council meeting]. Some of the teachers of the law of Moses who belonged to the Pharisee party stood up and argued, saying, "We can find nothing wrong with this man. What if an angel or spirit did speak to him?"

Scribes » Modern » Tempted our lord

John 8:3

Some experts in the law of Moses and Pharisees brought [to Him] a woman who had been caught committing an immoral sexual act and stood her in the middle of the group.

Scribes » Often learned in the law

Topics on Scribes

Knowing Jesus Everyday

Never miss a post

Related Readings

Theasaurus: Scribes

Document (19 instances)
Epistle (14 instances)
Inscribe (11 instances)
Letter (103 instances)
Parchment (2 instances)
Record (146 instances)
Scribe (61 instances)
Scroll (176 instances)
Signature (4 instances)
Signed (12 instances)
Stylus (7 instances)
Writing-Table (1 instance)
Written (388 instances)
Wrote (85 instances)
All Translations
A Conservative Version
American Bible Union New Testament
American Standard Version
Amplified
An Understandable Version
Anderson New Testament
Bible in Basic English
Common New Testament
Daniel Mace New Testament
Darby Translation
Emphatic Diaglott Bible
Godbey New Testament
Goodspeed New Testament
Holman Bible
International Standard Version
John Wesley New Testament
Julia Smith Translation
King James 2000
King James Version
Lexham Expanded Bible
Living Oracles New Testament
Modern King James verseion
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Moffatt New Testament
Montgomery New Testament
NET Bible
New American Standard Bible
New Heart English Bible
Noyes New Testament
Sawyer New Testament
The Emphasized Bible
Thomas Haweis New Testament
Twentieth Century New Testament
Webster
Weymouth New Testament
Williams New Testament
World English Bible
Worldwide English (NT)
Worrell New Testament
Worsley New Testament
Youngs Literal Translation