Scribe Secretary

γραμμᾰτ-εύς, έως, ὁ, secretary, registrar, title of officials at Athens and elsewhere, NT+5th c.BC+; γ. τοῦ θεοῦ Refs 5th c.BC+; also of subordinate officials, clerk, sometimes a term of contempt, ὄλεθρος γ. Refs 4th c.BC+; ἡ γ., in joke, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 metaphorically, recorder, of memory, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 scholar, γ. σαφής Refs 4th c.BC+ __4 one who traces or marks out, of Egyptian embalmers, Refs 1st c.BC+

† סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. ψ 45:2 enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (proposes pt. of סָפַר; Aramaic סַפְרָא, ܣܳܦܪܳܐ id., cf. ܣܦܺܝܪ doctus, literatus; Old Aramaic ספרא id., Lzb330 Cook85; Ph. ספר Lzb330);—abs. סֹפֵר Ju 5:14 +, סוֹפֵר 2 S 8:17 +; cstr. סֹפֵר 2 K 12:11 + 2 times, + Je 52:25 (Gie GFM read הַסּ׳ as ‖ 2 K 25:19); pl. סֹפְרִים 1 K 4:3; Je 8:8, סוֹ׳ 1 Ch 2:55; 2 Ch 34:13; cstr. סֹפְרֵי Est 3:12; 8:9;— 1. a. enumerator muster-cfier, in description of leaders of Isr. משְׁבִים בְּשֵׁבֶט ס׳ Ju 5:14. b. king’s official = secretary 2 S 8:17 = 20:25 = 1 Ch 18:16; 2 K 18:18, 37 = Is 36:3, 22; Sol. has two 1 K 4:3 (in all these disting. from מַזְכִּיר); also 2 K 19:2 = Is 37:2; Je 36:10, 12, cf. לִשְׁכַּת הַסּ׳ v 12, 20, 21, בֵּית הַסּ׳ 37:15, 20; acting as treasurer and paymaster 2 K 12:11 = 2 Ch 24:11,—cf. Zadok Ne 13:13;—2 K 22:3, 8, 9, 10, 12 = 2 Ch 34:15, 18, 20; 1 Ch 24:6 (Levite); הַסּ׳ שַׂר הַצָּבָא 2 K 25:19 = Je 52:25 (si vera l. in K) implies military authority (but שַׂר הַצּ׳ perhaps gloss GFM Ju 5:14); Ew Sta al. read (as Je) scribe of general. c. in Persia, secretaries who wrote out (king’s) decrees, according to Est 3:12; 8:9. d. 2 Ch 26:11 uses ס׳ for muster-officer; 1 Ch 2:55 mentions families of סוֹפְרִים; 2 Ch 34:13 knows ס׳ as Levites; ס׳ 1 Ch 27:32 = man of learning. 2. professional class of learned men, ‘scribes,’ able to read and write Je 36:26, 32; with writing implements, עֵט ס׳ מָהִיר ψ 45:2, קֶסֶת הַסּ׳ Ez 9:2, 3, תַּעַר הַסּ׳ Je 36:23; especially learned in the law, and assuming to issue its precepts, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים 8:8. 3. specif. of Ezra, at once priest (כֹּהֵן) and learned in the law (סֹפֵר), Ezr 7:11, ס׳ דִּבְרֵי מִצְוֹת י׳ v 11 [cf. Aramaic v 12, 21], ס׳ מָהִיר בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה v 6; Ne 8:1, 4, 9, 13; 12:26, 36.

† [סָפַר] n.m. secretary, scribe (𝔗 Syriac; BH סֹפֵר);—emph. סָֽפְרָא the secretary, Persian official, Ezr 4:8, 9, 17, 23; cstr. סָפַר the scribe 7:12, 21, of Ezra as learned in God’s law.