Scribes in Bible times were men, usually priests, whose occupation was to copy the Holy Scriptures, and to teach the law of God to the people, a duty which they frequently neglected by concentrating on unimportant details and ignoring the true spirit of the Law. They were very careful in their work, setting aside any parchment in which there was the smallest error and starting afresh. In Christ's day, the scribes worked together with the Pharisees studying the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, making and recording scholarly comments. They were condemned by Jesus for their selfish pride and unreasonable behaviour, and their neglect and callous attitude towards those whom they should have been instructing in all spiritual matters.

The NIV changes 'scribes' (KJV) to 'teachers of the law'. "Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees…. You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." (Matthew 23:13).