SCIMITAR
"There
is
no
truthe,
no
raercye,
nor
scyence
of
god
in
the
yerth.'
SCmiTAB.
—
See
Fauchion.
SCORPION'
('aqrab
[Arab,
same
name],
Dt
8",
Ezlj
26;
skorpios,
Lk
10'»
11'^
Rev
9'-
'»).
—
The
scorpion
belongs
to
the
ArachnidcB
or
spider
family.
It
occurs
plentifully
in
Palestine,
ten
species
being
known;
it
is
nocturnal
in
its
habits,
and
kills
small
insects,
spiders,
etc.,
for
food
by
means
of
the
poisonous
sting
at
the
end
of
its
tail.
The
effect
of
the
poison
on
human
beings
is
severe
pain,
and
sometimes
collapse
and
even
death,
thelatter
in
young
children
only.
The
■
scorpions
'
of
1
K
12"-
",
2
Ch
10"-
"
are
clearly
used
only
figuratively.
It
is
possible,
but
hardly
likely
(see
Hastings'
DCG,
art.
'Scorpion'),
that
the
language
of
our
Lord
in
Lk
IV
is
suggested
by
the
egg-like
form
of
the
'scorpion'
when
at
rest.
More
probably
He
has
in
mind
some
such
form
of
proverb
as
was
current
among
the
Greeks:
'
Instead
of
a
perch,
a
scorpion.'
E.
W.
G.
Mastebman.
SCOURGING.
—
See
Chimes
and
Punishments,
9,
and
Crucifixion,
4.
SCREECH
OWL.—
See
Ovin,.
SCRIBE.—
See
King,
p.
516i>.
SCRIBES.
—
Sometimes
a
phrase
gives
the
key
to
a
great
history.
Such
is
the
case
here.
'The
scribes
of
the
Pharisees'
(Mk
2")
points
us
to
the
'inseparable
connexion
between
the
Pharisees
and
the
Scribes.
In
other
places
in
the
Gospels
they
are
also
grouped
to-gether
(Mt
12",
Lk
6',
Mk
7').
It
we
would
understand
the
Scribe
or
Lawyer,
we
must
set
him
against
the
background
of
Pharisaism
(see
art.
Pharisees).
For
every
community
that
carves
out
for
itself
a
great
career
the
supreme
problem
is
law
and
its
ad-ministration.
Now,
after
the
Exile,
the
task
being
to
hold
together
the
parts
of
a
nation
widely
scattered
and
lacking
the
unifying
power
of
a
common
and
sacred
fatherland,
the
Mosaic
Torah,
the
Divine
Law
for
Israel,
became,
in
course
of
time,
the
moral
and
spiritual
constitution
of
Israel,
its
code
of
duty,
the
fabric
of
its
right.
The
Torah
is
the
informing
principle
of
the
community.
To
grasp
this
principle
and
apply
it
to
the
changing
conditions
and
questions
of
the
nation's
life
was
the
supreme
need
of
the
time.
This
need
was
analogous
to
the
similar
need
of
any
great
State.
And
it
always
necessitates,
as
at
Rome,
a
great
body
of
lawyers.
A
fundamental
need
gives
rise
to
an
authori-tative
function,
and
the
function
creates
for
itself
the
agents
to
exercise
it.
So,
in
course
of
time,
appears
in
Judaism
a
new
type,
the
Scribe.
There
is,
however,
a
peculiarity
in
the
case
of
the
Scribe
that
sets
him
apart
from
the
Roman
lawyer
or
the
modern
judge.
The
Torah
which
he
interpreted
and
applied
was
a
good
many
things
in
one.
It
was
the
text-book
of
a
society
which
was
both
Church
and
State;
it
was
at
once
the
constitution
and
the
catechism
of
the
Jews.
So
the
mastery
and
administration
of
it
developed
in
the
Scribe
a
variety
of
functions
which
with
us
are
parcelled
out
among
preacher,
scholar,
lawyer,
and
magistrate.
It
is
easy
to
see
that
history
owed
him
a
fortune.
He
came
to
occupy
a
great
position
in
the
Jewish
community.
By
the
1st
cent,
he
had
forced
his
way
into
that
aristocratic
body,
the
Sanhedrin
(Gamaliel
in
Ac
5;
Nicodemus
in
Jn
3
and
7).
He
sat
in
'
Moses'
seat'
(Mt
23').
He
had
the
power
of
'binding
and
loosing,'
i.e.
of
publishing
authoritative
judgments
upon
the
legality
and
illegality
of
actions.
We
see
here
a
situation
which
had
the
making
of
great
men
In
it.
To
grasp
and
administer
the
Mosaic
Law,
to
'sit
in
Moses'
seat'
and
become
the
trustee
of
the
supreme
interests
of
a
great
people,
—
there
can
be
no
better
school.
Naturally,
there
were
many
noble
Scribes,
men
whose
character
and
learning
were
com-mensurate
with
their
task.
Such
were
Hillel
and
Sham-
SCRIPTURE
mai,
elder
contemporaries
of
our
Lord.
Such
also
was
the
Gamaliel
at
whose
feet
St.
Paul
sat
(Ac
22=),
and
who
spoke,
with
noble
feeling,
against
the
persecuting
zeal
of
the
Sadducees
(5™).
As
a
class,
too,
they
had
their
noble
side.
Their
work,
both
educational
and
judicial,
was
gratuitous.
They
were
to
receive
no
pay.
Probably
this
rule
grew
out
of
the
idea
of
an
impartial
judge
(Ex
238,
Dt
IG").
Of
course,
there
must
have
been
many
exceptions.
Yet
the
mere
idea
was
ennobling,
and
must
have
served
to
enkindle
devotion.
But,
on
the
other
hand,
their
position
en-couraged
vast
pride
and
vanity.
They
stood
on
their
prerogatives
as
'Teachers.'
They
loved
the
title
of
'Rabbi.'
So
our
Lord,
when
He
bids
His
disciples
refuse
such
title
(Mt
23"),
has
the
Scribes
in
mind.
This
leads
us
to
the
deeper
defect
of
the
Scribes
as
a
class.
All
their
training
went
to
unfit
them
for
under-standing
our
Lord.
As
we
have
seen,
the
situation
of
the
Jews
in
the
centuries
after
the
Exile
called
for
a
new
type
of
man.
The
prophet
passed
off
the
stage.
The
Scribe
or
Lawyer
took
his
place.
In
the
1st
cent,
of.
our
era
he
had
become
antipathetic
to
Prophetism.
So
he
had
no
sympathy
with
John
the
Baptist,
and
to
the
meaning
of
the
creative
force
in
spiritual
things
brought
into
history
by
the
Saviour
he
was
totally
blind.
Hence
our
Lord's
fearful
denunciation
of
the
Scribes
(Mt
23).
See
also
artt.
Pharisees
and
Sadducees.
Henry
S.
Nash.
SCRIP.—
See
Bag.
SCRIPTURE.—
1.
The
word
'Scripture'
(Lat.
scriptura,
'a
writing,'
'something
written')
is
used
for
the
Bible
as
a
whole,
more
often
in
the
plural
form
'Scriptures,'
and
also
more
properly
for
a
passage
of
the
Bible.
It
appears
as
tr.
of
the
Greek
graphs,
which
is
used
in
the
singular
for
a
portion
of
the
OT
(.e.g.
Mk
12'"),
and
also
for
the
whole
OT
(Gal
3^),
and
more
frequently
in
the
plural
(haigraphai).
The
specific
idea
of
Scripture
contains
an
element
of
sanctity
and
authority.
Thus
it
becomes
usual
to
refer
to
Holy
Scripture,
or
the
Holy
Scriptures
(ere
graphais
hagiais,
Ro
12).
2
.
This
specific
conception
of
Scripture
as
distinguished
from
ordinary
writing
is
due
to
the
reception
of
it
as
a
record
of
the
word
of
God,
and
is
therefore
associated
with
inspiration.
The
earliest
reference
to
any
such
record
is
in
the
narrative
of
the
finding
of
the
Book
of
the
Law
by
Hilkiah
the
scribe
in
the
time
of
Josiah
(2
K
228''-).
Since
this
book
is
now
known
to
have
been
Deuteronomy
or
part
of
it,
we
must
reckon
that
this
was
the
first
book
treated
as
Scripture.
Still
greater
sanctity
was
given
to
the
enlarged
and
more
developed
Law
in
the
time
of
Ezra
and
Nehemiah,
and
from
that
time
the
whole
Pentateuch,
regarded
as
the
Law
given
by
God
to
Moses,
is
treated
as
especially
sacred
and
authori-tative.
The
special
function
of
the
scribes
in
guarding
and
teaching
the
Law
rested
on
this
Scriptural
character
attached
to
it,
and
in
turn
rendered
it
the
more
venerable
as
Scripture.
Later
the
reception
of
the
Hagiographa
and
the
Prophets
into
the
Canon
led
to
those
collections
being
regarded
also
as
Scripture,
though
never
with
quite
the
authority
attached
to
the
Law.
The
Rabbis
cherished
great
veneration
for
Scripture,
and
ascribed
to
it
a
mechanical
inspiration
which
extended
to
every
word
and
letter.
Philo
also
accepted
plenary
in-spiration,
finding
his
freedom
from
the
bondage
of
the
letter
m
allegorical
interpretations.
Unlike
the
Jerusalem
Ralibis,
in
this
respect
followed
by
most
of
the
NT
writers,
who
quote
the
various
OT
authors
by
name,
Philo
quotes
Scripture
as
the
immediate
word
of
God,
and
in
so
doing
is
followed
by
the
author
of
Hebrews.
Thus,
while
St.
Mark
says,
'as
it
is
written
in
Isaiah,
the
prophet'
(Mk
P),
and
St.
Paul
'David
saith'
(Roll'),
in
Hebrews
we
read,
'He
(i.e.
God)
saith
'(He
1'),
'the
Holy
Ghost
saith'
(3'),
or,
more
indefinitely,
'it
is
said'
(3'*),
which
IS
quite
in
the
manner
of
Philo.
Still,
the
technical
expression
'It
is
written'
(gegraptai)
is
very
common
both
in
the
Gospels
and
in
St.
Paul's
Epistles.
As
a
Greek
per-fect.
It
has
the
peculiar
force
of
a
present
state
resulting
