BDB5696 [H5608]

סֹפֵר, סוֺפֵר noun masculine^{Ps 45:2} enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (properly participle of סָפַר; Aramaic סַפְרָא, id. compare doctus, literatus; O Aramaic ספרא id., Lzb³³⁰ Cook⁸⁵; Phoenician ספר Lzb³³⁰); — absolute סֹפֵר Judg 5:14 +, סוֺפֵר 2Sam 8:17 +; construct סֹפֵר 2Kgs 12:11 + 2 t., + Jer 52:25 (Gie GFM read ׳הַסּ as || 2Kgs 25:19); plural סֹפְרִים 1Kgs 4:3; Jer 8:8, ׳סוֺ 1Chr 2:55; 1Chr 34:13 construct סֹפְרֵי Esth 3:12; Esth 8:9 —

1. a. enumerator, muster-officer in description of leaders of Israel ׳משְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט ס Judg 5:14.
\ \ b. king's official = secretary 2Sam 8:17 = 2Sam 20:25 = 1Chr 18:16; 2Kgs 18:18; 2Kgs 18:37 = Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22 Solomon had two 1Kgs 4:3 (in all these distinguished from מַזְכִּיר); also 2Kgs 19:2 = Isa 37:2; Jer 36:10; Jer 36:12, compare ׳לִשְׁכַּת הַסּ vJer 36:12 vJer 36:20 vJer 36:21, ׳בֵּית הַסּ Jer 37:15; Jer 37:20 acting as treasurer and paymaster 2Kgs 12:11 = 2Chr 24:11, — compare Zadok Neh 13:13 — 2Kgs 22:3; 2Kgs 22:8; 2Kgs 22:9; 2Kgs 22:10; 2Kgs 22:12 = 2Chr 34:15; 2Chr 34:18; 2Chr 34:20; 1Chr 24:6 (Levite); שַׂר הַצָּבָא ׳הַסּ 2Kgs 25:19 = Jer 52:25 (si vera lectio in Kings) implies military authority (but ׳שַׂר הַצּ perhaps gloss GFM^{Judg 5:14}); Ew Sta and others read (as Jeremiah) scribe of general.
\ \ c. in Persia, secretaries who wrote out (king's) decrees, according to Esth 3:12; Esth 8:9.
\ \ d. 2Chr 26:11 uses ׳ס for muster-officer; 1Chr 2:55 mentions families of סוֺפְרִים; 2Chr 34:13 knows ׳ס as Levites; ׳ס 1Chr 27:32 = man of learning.

2. professional class of learned men, 'scribes' able to read and write Jer 36:26; Jer 36:32 with writing implements, ׳מָהִיר עֵט ס Ps 45:2, ׳קֶסֶת הַסּ Ezek 9:2; Ezek 9:3, ׳תַּעַר הַסּ Jer 36:23 especially learned in the law, and assuming to issue its precepts, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים Jer 8:8.

3. specifically of Ezra, at once priest (כֹּהֵן) and learned in the law (סֹפֵר), Ezra 7:11, ׳בְרֵי מִצְוֺת י Di ׳ס vEzra 7:11 [compare Aramaic vEzra 7:12 vEzra 7:21], מָהִיר בְּתוֺרֵת משֶׁה ׳ס vEzra 7:6; Neh 8:1; Neh 8:4; Neh 8:9; Neh 8:13; Neh 12:26; Neh 12:36.

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
License: Public domain document; formatting developed for use in https://marvel.bible by Eliran Wong.
Source: provided by Tim Morton, the developer of Bible Analyzer