xxiv, 11, Sept. Trpo- <rraV>/c) ; and nips, Fig. i,th jjekuclddh, properly
office, but used collectively for a body of officers (Isa. Ix, 17, Sept. upxoi'raQ ; also 2 Chron. xxiv, 11 [A. V. "of- fice"], Sept. TTiOOffraVoc). 6. nzxbatl "^b", "those ■who did the business," marg. A. V., Sept. ypaftf^tartii; (Esth. ix, 3). See Monarchy, Hkbuew.
In the N. T. the words translated " officer" are both employed of legal functionaries. Thej' are: 1. vTnjpE- TTjc, a word of general significance, denoting one who renders service of any kind ; it is used, with this render- ing, of a functionary whose duty it was to apprehend of- fenders, or to exact legal penalties from those who had incurred them (JMatt. v, 25 [for which Luke uses TzpaK- Twp, xii, 58] ; John vii, 32, 46 ; xviii, 3, 12 ; Acts v, 22) ; a messenger or bailiff, like the Iioman viator or lictor. Josephus uses the word inn]psTi]g of an officer two of whom, being Levites, were attached to each magistrate (^Ant. iv, 8, 14); but it is probable that these were rather clerks or assessors of the court than servants of the class above described. The IMishna also mentions the crier and other officials, but whether these answered to the officers of Josephus and the N. T. cannot be de- termined. Scldcn, from ^MaimDuidcs, mentions the high estimation in which such othiials were held (Sanhedr. iv, 4; vi, 1 ; Selden, De Sijnedr. ii, 13, 11). 2. The Trpdic- T(i)p was properly the exactor of the penalty assigned by the judge, and so the word is correctly used by Luke (xii, 58). There were at Athens officers bearing this name, whose business it was to register and collect fines imposed by courts of justice; and "deliver to the offi- cer" means, give in the name of tiie debtor to the officer of the court (Demosthenes [or Dinarchus] r. Theocr. p. 1218, IJeiske; Smith, Diet, of Antiq. " Practores," " Ilyperetes;" Jul. Poll, viii, 114 ; Deniosth. c. A rist. p. 778; ^Esch. c. Timarch. p. 5; Grotius, on Luke xii, 58). — Kitto ; Smith. See Punishmknt.
The most usual and specific of the above Hebrew words is shoteriiii' (C"i"i;i: w'), which is best explained as the participle of an old verb, shatar' (l^llj), that still appears in the Arabic, meaning to engrave, to mark upon anything; hence to write, and from the common use of scribes in the East, and especially in Egypt (see Wilkinson, Anc. Egypt, ii, 176 sq.. Harper's ed.), in all matters of agency, superintendence, and public business, the word naturally passes into the more general mean- ing of agent or officer (comp. Hengstenberg, Pentat. i, 449 sq.). In English, and other Western languages, words of kindred signification originally have acquired the same latitude of meaning. Comp. Clerk; Writ- ing. These scribes or officers first appear in Egypt as Hebrews ap])ointed to supervise the task of their brethren, and made responsible for its full completion (Exod. v, 6, 14, 15, 19). Those only were adapted to this task who, b}- their skill in writing, were competent to keep lists and tables of persons and their work. Their duties are well illustrated by many groups on the extant Egyptian monuments, in which the scribe is seen regis- tering the workmen engaged in various employments (see Wilkinson, Anc. Egypt, ii, 282 sq.). The elders of
4 3 2 1
Ancient Egyptians brought before the Officers of Eegistrntion.
■il functionary ; 2, the subaltern presentinj; the certificate ; 3, the individual arraigned ; 4, 5, others depre- cating sentence.
the people, while in the wilderness, were appointed offi- cers (Numb, xi, 16; Deut. xxix, 10; xxxi, 28), and at the exode each tribe had its own "officers" (Deut. i, 15; comp. XX, 5), who, under Joshua, were the medium of communication between the commander-in-chief and their respective tribes (Josh, i, 10; iii, 2), and at differ- ent times several classes of functionaries are enumerated, the officers (C'^'l^'i") being generally the last men- tioned (Josh, viii, 33; xxiii, 2; xxiv, 1). The law in- deed had already ordained (Deut. xvi, 18) that on the settlement in the promised land ^'officers and judges" should be appointed in every city ; and David seems to have apjiointed them from among the Levites (1 Chron. xxiii, 4; xxvi, 29; comp. 2 Chron. xix, 11). Other"offi- ccrs" are mentioned under David (1 Chron. xxvii, 1) as engaged in the services of the court, perhaps a kind of chamberlains ; but in connection with the army (2 Chron. xxvi, 11) not only sc7-ibes (C^SD [see Scribe]), but also rulers or officeis (CTb-C) were employed. None of these, however, are mentioned in the books of Kings. It is clear that although in these passages the Hebrew term shoterim' in no case refers to mere subordinates engaged in menial duties, as lictors, beadles, etc. (the view of Euller, Jfisc. Sacr. iii, 19 ; Selden, De Synedr. i, 15), yet officers of various kinds are denoted by it. es- pecially those whose duties required the keeping of reg- isters and tables. It answers well, accordingly, to the Greek term for a scrib;'. ypn^i/jaTtvc, and to the Eng- lish word ckrk (comp. \\'achsmuth, llelhn. Alterlhiimsk. i, 829 sq.). It cannot, however, be proved that these of- ficers among the Hebrews had the peculiar charge of the genealogical tables (as iMichaclis, Mas. R. p. 281 ; Jahn, Ai-chaol. II, i, 02; Hengstenberg, itt siip.), al- though this duty accords well with the proper meaning