νομοδιδάσκαλος (G3547) — Greek Lexicon

νομοδιδάσκαλος

nomodidáskalos

G3547 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A teacher or interpreter of the law (primarily the Mosaic or Torah law); one learned in, and responsible for instructing or clarifying, legal traditions and regulations among the Judeans. The term typically designates someone with recognized authority to expound, explain, or interpret the law in both its written and oral forms. In New Testament contexts, it particularly refers to an expert in the law of Moses who serves as a public religious instructor or legal expert, often in conjunction with the Pharisees or other groups concerned with legal observance.

Semantic Range

teacher of law, instructor or interpreter of legal tradition, expert in the Mosaic/Torah law, public religious legal teacher, authoritative expounder of the Judean Torah in communal or synagogue settings

Root / Etymology

Compound of νόμος (law, rule) and διδάσκαλος (teacher, instructor). The form is a transparent Koine compound, literally meaning 'law-teacher.' No evidence of derivation from another linguistic source; formed from standard Greek morphemes.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historically, νομοδιδάσκαλος appears in Hellenistic Jewish literature and the New Testament to describe individuals charged with transmitting the Mosaic law (Torah), distinct yet overlapping with grammateus (scribe). The designation is not strictly equivalent to the later term 'Rabbi' and should not be retrojected into earlier Israelite history. In the Greco-Roman period, ‘law’ (νόμος) overwhelmingly refers to the Torah or Israelite legal tradition when used by Judeans. English translations such as 'doctor of the law' may obscure the status and function of these individuals as recognized legal teachers within Judean society, not as medical doctors or merely academic theorists. Septuagint usage is limited, primarily describing those teaching or interpreting Israelite law rather than Greco-Roman law codes. The overlap and contrast with other titles—such as grammateus (scribe), Pharisee, and elder—varies by context; νομοδιδάσκαλος accentuates expertise in law and its instruction. Modern translation as 'Rabbi' is anachronistic outside rabbinic period; 'teacher of the law' most faithfully captures the historical nuance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from νόμος and διδάσκαλος; an expounder of the (Jewish) law, i.e. a Rabbi:--doctor (teacher) of the law.

Root Family

νόμος, διδάσκαλος (nomodidáskalos) — law, rule, teaching, instructing

Root νόμος, διδάσκαλος law, rule, teaching, instructing

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G3547-01`	νομοδιδάσκαλοι	nomodidaskaloi	`N NOM M PL`	teachers of the law	law-teachers	law-teachers	2
`G3547-02`	νομοδιδάσκαλος	nomodidaskalos	`N NOM M SG`	teacher of the law	law-teacher	law-teacher	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G3547-01`	Luke 5:17	νομοδιδάσκαλοι	nomodidaskaloi	`N NOM M PL`	teachers of the law	law-teachers	teachers of the law
`G3547-02`	Acts 5:34	νομοδιδάσκαλος	nomodidaskalos	`N NOM M SG`	teacher of the law	law-teacher	law-teacher
`G3547-01`	1 Timothy 1:7	νομοδιδάσκαλοι	nomodidaskaloi	`N NOM M PL`	teachers of the law	law-teachers	law-teachers

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