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copied to this article marginal note re Matthew 23:9 - inserted subheadings
'''Scribes''' in the [[Bible]] (Hebrew, <big>'''סופרים'''</big> ''soferim''; Greek, '''γραμματεῖς''' ''grammateis'') [[Denotation|denotes]] the body of teachers in [[Judaism]] whose office was to interpret the [[Torah|Law]] to the people. The original meaning of the Hebrew word "soferim" was "people who know how to write" <ref>Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun "scribe" as 1. (n.) One who writes; an official or public writer; a notary; a copyist. 2. (n.) A writer and doctor of the law; one skilled in the law and traditions; one who read and explained the law to the people.</ref>, skilled in the art of [[Written Language|writing]].
'''Scribes''' in the [[Bible]] (Hebrew, <big>'''סופרים'''</big> ''soferim''; Greek, '''γραμματεῖς''' ''grammateis'') [[Denotation|denotes]] the body of teachers in [[Judaism]] whose office was to interpret the [[Torah|Law]] to the people. The original meaning of the Hebrew word "soferim" was "people who know how to write" <ref>Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun "scribe" as 1. (n.) One who writes; an official or public writer; a notary; a copyist. 2. (n.) A writer and doctor of the law; one skilled in the law and traditions; one who read and explained the law to the people.</ref>, skilled in the art of [[Written Language|writing]].
==History==
An historical connection between ritual and scribal functions derives from the demand for fiscal organization of temple operations (for example, in [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Ancient Egypt]] most of the earliest writings are associated with temple records). The scribal function of composing private legal documents is widely attested in Mesopotamia and Egypt before, during, and after the Biblical period. In the earlier Hebrew writings, a scribe was one skilled in writing and accounts. They may have served as counselors, or have borne the responsibility of supervising the entire workforce of the people or for mustering the army as marshals <ref>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+5%3A6-14&version=RSVCE Exodus 5:6-14] ''see'' [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/5-6.htm ''interlinear text of'' Exodus 5:6 "''officers''" '''שֹׁטְרָ֖יו''' ''šō·ṭə·rāw'']; <br> [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+5%3A14&version=RSVCE Judges 5:14]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+20%3A23-26&version=RSVCE 2 Samuel 20:23-26]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+4%3A7-19&version=RSVCE 1 Kings 4:7-19]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+26%3A11&version=RSVCE 26:11]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+52%3A24-25&version=RSVCE Jeremiah 52:24-25]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Maccabees+5%3A42&version=RSVCE 1 Maccabees 5:42]</ref>.
An historical connection between ritual and scribal functions derives from the demand for fiscal organization of temple operations (for example, in [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Ancient Egypt]] most of the earliest writings are associated with temple records). The scribal function of composing private legal documents is widely attested in Mesopotamia and Egypt before, during, and after the Biblical period. In the earlier Hebrew writings, a scribe was one skilled in writing and accounts. They may have served as counselors, or have borne the responsibility of supervising the entire workforce of the people or for mustering the army as marshals <ref>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+5%3A6-14&version=RSVCE Exodus 5:6-14] ''see'' [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/5-6.htm ''interlinear text of'' Exodus 5:6 "''officers''" '''שֹׁטְרָ֖יו''' ''šō·ṭə·rāw'']; <br> [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+5%3A14&version=RSVCE Judges 5:14]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+20%3A23-26&version=RSVCE 2 Samuel 20:23-26]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+4%3A7-19&version=RSVCE 1 Kings 4:7-19]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+26%3A11&version=RSVCE 26:11]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+52%3A24-25&version=RSVCE Jeremiah 52:24-25]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Maccabees+5%3A42&version=RSVCE 1 Maccabees 5:42]</ref>.
Acceptance of the emendations of the scribes as part of the inspired text of the Bible is implicit acceptance of the scribes as being divinely inspired by God <ref>Compare [[King James Only]].</ref>. Rejection of the emendations of the scribes is rejection of their corrections as being corruptions of the Bible.<ref>See [[Literal Translation]].</ref>
Acceptance of the emendations of the scribes as part of the inspired text of the Bible is implicit acceptance of the scribes as being divinely inspired by God <ref>Compare [[King James Only]].</ref>. Rejection of the emendations of the scribes is rejection of their corrections as being corruptions of the Bible.<ref>See [[Literal Translation]].</ref>
==Addressing Scribes as "my father" - Matthew 23:9 ==
To this day, students and disciples of highly regarded rabbis sometimes reverently address them as, "my father". One of the highest forms of personal respect is to honor one's own personal Jewish mentor and guide as, "my Rabbi".
In Matthew 23:9 the Lord Jesus Christ said, "'''Call no man on the earth ''your father'''''"
Jesus did not say, "''Call no man on earth, 'father' ''". He said, "''Call no man on the earth '''your''' father''" The Greek New Testament explicitly uses the word '''ὑμῶν''' ''hymōn'' "your":<br> '''καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς''' <br> ''kai patera mē kalesēte hymōn epi tēs gēs'' <br> (literally) "And father no call your on the earth" <br> (Gk. '''μὴ''' ''mē'' "no" = ''no'' [''one'']) <br> "And father no [one] call your on the earth" <ref>See the [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/23-9.htm interlinear English and Greek text] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/23-9.htm ''multiple commentaries on'' Matthew 23:9].</ref>
Jesus does not say, "Do not be '''called''' fathers". <br>However, in Matthew 23 verse 10, he '''''does''''' say, "Neither be '''called''' masters". <br>(''Yet Paul and Peter addressed men as "masters"''''':''' Ephesians 6:5, 9; Colossians 3:22; 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18.)
The meaning of this text in Matthew 23:9 "''your father''" is that no male parent ''in the most absolute sense is to be regarded most ultimately'' as the true father of any son or daughter naturally sired (procreated) by him. Jesus is correcting a distortion of the meaning of Exodus 20:12. Middle eastern cultural tradition taught each child to regard their natural father with absolute claim to their personal loyalty and obedience, above and apart from any other consideration of affection, respect, duty and reverence they might owe to another, to mother or sibling or spouse or children or friend or comrade-in-arms or teacher or commander or king or country, or even life itself. Students who came to regard their teachers and rabbis with reverent affection and loyalty, even awe, for imparting the knowledge of Torah to them, were traditionally encouraged to address them as "my father" and to regard them as their spiritual fathers possessing a dignity and authority above reproach. Jesus is setting them free of the tradition of unquestioning imitation of those abusers of legitimate Jewish authority who set aside the substance of the teaching of Moses and the scriptures for the sake of their own self-promoting customs and ritual traditions, as leaders beyond any possible reproach and as ''[[Icon]]s'' of God's Authority on earth. See [[Scribes (Bible)]].
'''Matthew Poole's Commentary''' on Matthew 23 verses 8-10 states unequivocally:{{cquote|It is most certain that our Saviour doth not here forbid the giving of the titles of masters and fathers to his ministers, for then Paul would not have given himself the title of father, 1 Corinthians 4:15; nor called the Galatians his little children, Galatians 4:19: nor called Timothy his son, and himself his father, Philippians 2:22; nor called himself a doctor of the Gentiles, 1 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 1:11.}}
This text in Matthew has been cited as condemning any use of the word "father" as an address or title of respect to any man, as if it said, "''Call no man on earth, 'father'...''". However, against this defective reading of the meaning of the text, and apart from the fact that a word ('''ὑμῶν''' ''hymōn'') has been removed by such a reading (interpretation) of the text, multiple passages in sacred scripture itself demonstrate that the apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ themselves addressed others as "''father''" and were called "''father''". St. Paul told the Corinthians that though they had many guides, he was their father through the gospel, and he also said he was a father to Timothy. There is a substantial difference in saying "my father" and simply saying "Father". For example, no Catholic says to a priest, "my father, ... ", but says instead, "Father", as a title of respect. In the same way, for example, [[Stephen|St. Stephen]] addressed the high priest and members of the council as fathers, and John explicitly addresses the fathers of the Christian community as "fathers". See Acts 7:2, 22:1; 1 John 2:12-14; 1 Corinthians 4:14-15; Philippians 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; Hebrews 13:17. Most translations of Matthew 23:9 faithfully say "''your father''"; others explicitly omit the word '''ὑμῶν''' "''your''" in translation as an anti-Catholic reading which has no grammatical basis and cannot be justified according to the New Testament Greek text of Matthew 23:9
:9 καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πατήρ '''ὑμῶν''', ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. (''boldface emphasis added'')
Omitting to include in translation a doctrinally significant word that is present in every extant manuscript of this verse in Matthew is a deliberate act involving substantial alteration of the meaning of the scriptural text, an act which every Bible-believing Christian condemns. <br>See [http://biblehub.com/jeremiah/8-8.htm Jeremiah 8:8] and [http://biblehub.com/revelation/22-19.htm Revelation 22:19].
Here is a list of some of the more widely published and distributed English translations which ''exclude'' the word "your" in Matthew 23:9, among their other scribal violations of the Bible:
:*NIV New International Version
:*NLT New Living Translation
:*ISV International Standard Version
:*ABE Aramaic Bible in English
Multiple versions of Matthew 23:9 can be accessed for comparison at http://biblehub.com/matthew/23-9.htm .
==See also==
==See also==