Library Home>All Subjects>D Subjects>Doctors

Doctors

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(teacher). A teacher of the Law of Moses (Luke 2:46; 5:17⁴⁶And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. (Luke 2:46)
¹⁷And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. (Luke 5:17)). Teacher of the Christian faith (1 Cor. 12:28²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Literally Teachers: otherwise called DOCTORS OR TEACHERS OF THE LAW. Those who devoted themselves to the study and teaching of the Jewish law (Luke 2:46⁴⁶And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. (Luke 2:46); Luke 5:17¹⁷And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. (Luke 5:17); Acts 5:34³⁴Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; (Acts 5:34)).

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Luke 2:46⁴⁶And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. (Luke 2:46). They found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

There were several places within the Temple area where doctors of the law met their disciples. One of these places was in the cloisters described in the note on Matthew 24:1¹And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. (Matthew 24:1) (#704). Another was in the synagogue which was in the Temple enclosure. After service the doctors admitted any who wished to converse with them on matters pertaining to the law. There were also other places resorted to for a similar purpose; and Lightfoot declares that it was not impossible for Jesus to have been in the great Sanhedrim itself.

There is no reason to suppose that in the conversation which Jesus held with these learned men there was anything like controversy. He simply followed the custom of the time, which allowed anyone who chose to question the doctors on any points on which they desired information.

Related Books and Articles: