Officer

It is obvious that most, if not all, of the Hebrew words rendered "officer" are either of an indefinite character or are synonymous terms for functionaries known under other and more specific names, as "scribe," "eunuch" etc. The two words so rendered in the New Testament denote --

1. An inferior officer of a court of justice, a messenger or bailiff, like the Roman viator or lictor. (Matthew 5:25; Acts 5:22)

2. Officers whose duty it was to register and collect fines imposed by courts of justice. (Luke 12:58)

of'-i-ser: In the King James Version the term is employed to render different words denoting various officials, domestic, civil and military, such as caric, "eunuch," "minister of state" (Ge 37:36); paqidh, "person in charge," "overseer" (Ge 41:34); necibh, "stationed," "garrison," "prefect" (1Ki 4:19); shoTer, "scribe" or "secretary" (perhaps arranger or organizer), then any official or overseer. In Es 9:3 for the King James Version "officers of the king" the Revised Version (British and American) has (more literal) "they that did the king's business."

In the New Testament, "officer" generally corresponds to the Greek word huperetes, "servant," or any person in the employ of another. In Mt 5:25 the term evidently means "bailiff" or exactor of the fine imposed by the magistrate, and corresponds to praktor, used in Lu 12:58.

T. Lewis