Lawyer

A lawyer among the Jews was an expert in the Mosaic law who interpreted and taught the Torah in schools and synagogues (Matt. 22:35; Luke 10:25). The terms "lawyer" and "scribe" were largely synonymous; both referred to professional interpreters of Israel's legal tradition who had accumulated extensive oral commentary alongside the written law. Jesus repeatedly clashed with lawyers over their interpretations that burdened the people while circumventing the law's intent (Luke 11:45–52). The Good Samaritan parable was told in response to a lawyer's self-justifying question (Luke 10:29). Paul uses the term differently in Titus 3:13, referring to a civil or Roman legal expert.