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The Greek that is usually translated as “scribe” in English “were more than mere writers of the law. They were the trained interpreters of the law and expounders of tradition.”

Here are a number of its (back-) translations:

  • Yaka: “clerk in God’s house”
  • Amganad Ifugao: “man who wrote and taught in the synagogue”
  • Navajo: “teaching-writer” (“an attempt to emphasize their dual function”)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “book-wise person”
  • San Blas Kuna: “one who knew the Jews’ ways”
  • Loma: “educated one”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “one knowing holy paper”
  • Central Mazahua: “writer of holy words”
  • Indonesian: “expert in the Torah”
  • Pamona: “man skilled in the ordinances” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Sinhala: “bearer-of-the-law”
  • Marathi: “one-learned-in-the-Scriptures”
  • Shona (1966): “expert of the law”
  • Balinese: “expert of the books of Torah”
  • Ekari: “one knowing paper/book”
  • Tboli: “one who taught the law God before caused Moses to write” (or “one who taught the law of Moses”) (source for this and 5 above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Noongar: Mammarapa-Warrinyang or “law man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Mairasi: “one who writes and explains Great Above One’s (=God’s) prohibitions” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Chichewa: “teacher of Laws” (source: Ernst Wendland)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “teachers of law”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “writer”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “person who teaches the law which Moses wrote”
  • Alekano: “man who knows wisdom” (source for this and four above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Saint Lucian Creole French: titcha lwa sé Jwif-la (“teacher of the law of the Jews”) (source: David Frank in Lexical Challenges in the St. Lucian Creole Bible Translation Project, 1998)
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “one who teaches the holy writings”
  • Atatláhuca Mixtec: “teacher of the words of the law”
  • Coatlán Mixe: “teacher of the religious law”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “one who is a teacher of the law which God gave to Moses back then”
  • Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “one who know well the law” (Source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Huixtán Tzotzil: “one who mistakenly thought he was teaching God’s commandments”(Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker; source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)
  • German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “theologian”
  • English translation by Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023): Covenant Code scholar

In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “expert” and “law.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Scribe” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

complete verse (Matthew 8:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 8:19:

  • Uma: “At that time, there was teacher of the Yahudi religion who came to Yesus, saying to him: ‘Teacher, wherever you (sing.) go, I want to follow you (sing.)!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They had not yet left, when a teacher of the religious law came to Isa, he said, ‘Sir, I want to follow you wherever you go.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then a teacher of the law came up to him. He said to Jesus, ‘Oh Teacher, I’ll go with you wherever you go.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But simultaneously a teacher of the law approached and said to him, ‘Sir teacher, I will follow you (sing.) wherever you (sing.) are going.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But before they could sail, an explainer of law approached Jesus. He spoke saying, ‘Teacher, I will go along with you wherever you go.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Then a teacher of the law came to where Jesus stood and said: ‘Listen teacher, I want to go along with you where you go,’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 8:19

Scribe: see comment at 2.4. These men were expert in Jewish religious law. Good News Translation usually translates “teacher of the Law.”

This is the first time in the Gospel where Jesus is addressed as Teacher. It is quite natural that someone interested in the detailed interpretation of the Jewish Law should use this noun of address, and it seems strange that Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch should drop it from translation. Elsewhere in Matthew it is used as a noun of address for Jesus in 12.38; 19.16; 22.16, 24, 36. In 26.18 Jesus refers to himself as “the Teacher” when sending his disciples to prepare for the Passover meal. Some languages do not normally address someone with a title like Teacher, but if possible the term should be retained. It was a title of respect.

I will follow you: as stated in the introduction to verses 18-22, follow here takes on the extended meaning of “become a follower” or “become a disciple.” The man is declaring his willingness to become one of Jesus’ disciples, but as the next verse will reveal, he is not prepared to make the full commitment that discipleship involves. As we have pointed out before, it would be incorrect to use a term that merely meant “to follow behind.” “Go with” or “accompany” would be better, but “become one of your disciples” or “become one of your people” may be even closer to the intended meaning. Then it will be necessary to add “and I’ll go with you wherever you go.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .