In biblical times, the role of a clerk, though not explicitly mentioned by this title in the Scriptures, can be understood through various functions related to record-keeping, administration, and communication. The concept of a clerk aligns with the duties of scribes and other officials who were responsible for maintaining records, writing documents, and assisting in the administration of both religious and civil matters.

Scribes and Record-Keepers

The closest biblical equivalent to a clerk is the scribe. Scribes were essential in ancient Israel and other Near Eastern cultures for their expertise in writing and record-keeping. They were responsible for copying and preserving sacred texts, legal documents, and genealogies. In the Old Testament, scribes played a crucial role in the administration of the kingdom and the temple. For example, Ezra is described as "a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses" (Ezra 7:6), highlighting his role in teaching and interpreting the law.

Administrative Roles

In the context of governance, clerks or officials were necessary for the administration of justice and the management of state affairs. In the book of Esther, we see the role of royal secretaries who recorded decrees and communicated the king's orders throughout the empire (Esther 3:12). These officials ensured that the king's commands were accurately documented and disseminated.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the role of a clerk can be seen in the context of the early church's organization. The apostles and early church leaders required individuals to manage the distribution of resources and maintain order within the growing Christian community. Acts 6:1-6 describes the appointment of deacons to oversee the daily distribution to widows, reflecting an administrative function akin to that of a clerk.

Symbolic and Spiritual Implications

From a spiritual perspective, the role of a clerk or scribe can symbolize the importance of preserving and transmitting God's Word. The meticulous work of scribes ensured the accurate transmission of Scripture, which is foundational to the faith. Jesus Himself acknowledged the role of scribes, saying, "Therefore every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old" (Matthew 13:52).

Conclusion

While the specific title of "clerk" is not found in the Bible, the functions associated with this role are evident throughout Scripture. Whether through the work of scribes, royal secretaries, or church administrators, the duties of a clerk were vital for maintaining order, preserving sacred texts, and ensuring the effective communication of important information.1. (n.) A clergyman or ecclesiastic.

2. (n.) A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters.

3. (n.) A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it.

4. (n.) One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the clerk of a court; a town clerk.

5. (n.) An assistant in a shop or store.

TOWN CLERK

klurk, klark (grammateus): The word "clerk," "writer," "town clerk," "scribe," is found in this meaning only in Acts 19:35, "when the townclerk had quieted the multitude." Cremer defines the word as signifying a "public servant among the Greeks and the reader of the legal and state-papers" (Lexicon of the New Testament). There was considerable difference between the authority of these "clerks" in the cities of Asia Minor and of Greece. Among the Greeks the grammateis were usually slaves, or at least persons belonging to the lower classes of society, and their office was a nominal, almost a mechanical, one. In Asia, on the contrary, they were officers of considerable consequence, as the passage quoted indicates (Thucidydes vii.19, "the scribe of the city") and the grammateus is not infrequently mentioned in the inscriptions and on the coins of Ephesus (e.g. British Museum Inscriptions, III, 2,482, 528). They had the supervision of the city archives, all official decrees were drawn up by them, and it was their prerogative to read such decrees to the assembled citizens. Their social position was thus one of eminence, and a Greek scribe would have been much amazed at the deference shown to his colleagues in Asia and at the power they wielded in the administration of affairs. See , further, Hermann, Staats Altertum, 127, 20; and EPHESUS.

Henry E. Dosker

CLERK

See TOWN CLERK.

1122. grammateus -- a writer, scribe
... writer, scribe. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: grammateus Phonetic
Spelling: (gram-mat-yooce') Short Definition: a scribe, town-clerk, man of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1122.htm - 7k

3490. naukleros -- a shipowner, shipmaster
... owner of a ship. From naus and kleros ("clerk"); a captain -- owner of a ship. see
GREEK naus. see GREEK kleros. (nauklero) -- 1 Occurrence. 3489, 3490. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3490.htm - 6k

That a Clerk Ought not to be Set Over Two Churches.
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. Canon XV. That a clerk ought not to be set over two
churches. That a clerk ought not to be set over two churches. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon xv that a clerk.htm

The Substance of Some Discourse had Between the Clerk of the Peace ...
... The Substance of some Discourse had between the Clerk of the Peace and myself; when
he came to admonish me, according to the tenor of that Law, by which I was ...
/.../grace abounding to the chief of sinners/the substance of some discourse.htm

Some Carriages of the Adversaries of God's Truth with Me at the ...
... my name was in the calendar, and also though both the judge and sheriff had promised
that I should appear before them, yet the justices and the clerk of the ...
/.../grace abounding to the chief of sinners/some carriages of the adversaries.htm

Our Status.
... is counted to be. A clerk in an office is innocently suspected of embezzlement,
and accused before a court of law. He pleads not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxi our status.htm

Twenty-Fourth Lesson. In My Name;'
... A merchant leaving his home and business, gives his chief clerk a general power,
by which he can draw thousands of pounds in the merchant's name. ...
/.../murray/with christ in the school of prayer/twenty-fourth lesson in my name.htm

The Life of Sir Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston.
... who had hitherto served the tables at Edinburgh without reward, and yet with great
diligence, skill and integrity, deserved the office of clerk above all others ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of sir archibald.htm

When a Man Sows, He Expects to Reap.
... The employer marked the barrels, "Beans"A 1." The clerk seeing this, said:
"Do you think, sir, that it is right to mark those beans A 1?". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter iii when a man.htm

Jacob Jones; Or, the Man who Couldn't Get Along in the World.
... JACOB JONES was clerk in a commission store at a salary of five hundred dollars
a year. ... The merchant said no more. His mind was made up about his clerk. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/jacob jones or the man.htm

Whether Parish Priests and Archdeacons are More Perfect than ...
... such a disastrous degree of pride, and deem the clergy deserving of such a grievous
insult," as to assert that 'a bad monk is a good clerk,' "since sometimes ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether parish priests and archdeacons.htm

A Series of Letters In Defence of Divine Revelation
... District of Massachusetts, to wit: District Clerk's Office. ... JOHN W. DAVIS,
Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. TO THE READER. ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/title page.htm

Clerk (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (n.) One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the
clerk of a court; a town clerk. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. TOWN CLERK. ...
/c/clerk.htm - 8k

Town-clerk (1 Occurrence)
Town-clerk. Townclerk, Town-clerk. Town-door . Multi-Version
Concordance Town-clerk (1 Occurrence). Acts 19:35 And when ...
/t/town-clerk.htm - 6k

Town (861 Occurrences)
... See CITY; VILLAGE. WM Christie. TOWN CLERK. klurk, klark (grammateus): The
word "clerk," "writer," "town clerk," "scribe," is found ...
/t/town.htm - 39k

Writer (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) One who writes, or has written; a scribe;
a clerk. 2. (n.) One who is engaged in literary composition ...
/w/writer.htm - 8k

Temples (17 Occurrences)
... ROBBERS OF TEMPLES. (hierosuloi, "guilty of sacrilege"): A term used by the town
clerk of Ephesus (Acts 19:37, the King James Version "robbers of churches"). ...
/t/temples.htm - 13k

Robbers (21 Occurrences)
... ROBBERS OF TEMPLES. (hierosuloi, "guilty of sacrilege"): A term used by the town
clerk of Ephesus (Acts 19:37, the King James Version "robbers of churches"). ...
/r/robbers.htm - 14k

Quieted (8 Occurrences)
... Acts 19:35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus,
what man is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is ...
/q/quieted.htm - 8k

Quieting (4 Occurrences)
... Acts 19:35 And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, saith, 'Men, Ephesians,
why, who is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is ...
/q/quieting.htm - 7k

Zeus (3 Occurrences)
... Acts 19:35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus,
what man is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is ...
/z/zeus.htm - 8k

Goddess (6 Occurrences)
... Acts 19:35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus,
what man is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is ...
/g/goddess.htm - 9k

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