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spr, sprˀ (sāp̄ar, sāp̄rā) n.m. scribe
1
scribe
Common Aramaic
TAD D8.6 R.3↗ חניה ספרא‏ : PN the scribe ; Ezra 4:8↗ רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא‏ : Rḥum, the one responsible for the order, and Shimshai, the scribe ; 4QEnGiantsa08.4↗ ב̇כ̇ת̇ב יד חנוך ספר פרשא‏ : with the manuscript of Enoch, excellent scribe ; Mur 21 V:22↗ י]ה̇וסף ספר̇[א‏ : PN the scribe ; TgO Gen49:10↗ לָא יְעִידֵי עָבֵיד שוּלטָן מִדְבֵית יְהוּדָה וְסָפְרָא מִבְנֵי בְנוֹהִי עַד עָלְמָא‏ ; P Ex5:6↗ ܘܦܩ݁ܕ ܂܂܂ ܠܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܘܗܝ ܕܥܡܐ ܘܠܣ݁ܦܪ̈ܘܗܝ݂‏ ; ChronEdess 3:12↗ ܣ݁ܦܪ̈ܐ ܕܐܘܪܗܝ‏ ; BT BB 163a(8)↗ דכל דמזייף לאו לגבי ספרא אזיל ומזייף‏ : anyone who falsifies (a document) does not go to a scribe and falsify ; PJ Gen5:24↗ וקרא שמיה מיטטרון ספרא רבא‏ : he called his name Metatron, the great scribe
2
learned person
(1)
one learned in sacred scriptures
Syr
P Mt9:3↗ ܐܼܢܵܫܵܐ̈ ܕܸ݁ܝܢ ܡܸܢ ܣܵܦ݂ܪܸ̈ܐ‏
(2)
teacher (of scripture)
Gal, Syr
EchRB[1]64(3)↗ הוה מפקיד לספריא ולמתניי<ניי>א‏ : he would order the elementary and upper-school teachers ; PTBer 7.c:46[2]↗ והדא שאלתא דספר‏ : that is a question of a teacher!
(3)
clever person
Syr
PhiloxDisc 5:22↗ ܐܲܦܸܩ ܠܲܨܢܼܝ̈ܥܸܐ ܘܣܵܦܪܸ̈ܐ܆ ܘܩܲܪܸܒ ܠܘܵܬܸܗ ܒܽܘܪܸ̈ܐ ܘܗܸܕܝܽܘ̈ܛܸ‏ : he removed tricky and clever ones and brought near him simple and uneducated folk
(1)
court advisor
Syr
BhBS.E Pol 3.3.3 text not cited
(2)
learned leader
Sam
SamTgJ Ex5:6↗ ית קדמיה בעמה וית ספריו‏ : the leaders among the nation and its learned ones ; Marqe 1.443↗ כל ספר דלגו ביספרה פעלין‏ : every leader with workers in his group
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The suggestion in DJBA 828b:top that Geonic ספר מתא is a separate lemma derived from the Akkadian expression meaning "governor" is quite far-fetched. The context clearly points to a local official in charge of accounts, hence "bursar" or the like, a simple derivation from "scribe".
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 1035[493]DJPA: 386bDJBA: 828aJastrow: 1018Drower/Macuch: 314aPayne-Smith: 2708J. Payne-Smith: 387Levy Ch-W: 2:183Tal Sam: 606DNWSI: 798DCPA[Schulthess]: 292[139]DJA: 68bQumran: 168

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Fri, 06 Nov 2026 03:48:27 -0500