Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Sanhedrin/Chapter 4/3

Introduction

Sanhedrin deals primarily with the court and with court cases. The fourth chapter of Sanhedrin is focused mostly on the treatment of non-capital cases.

The third mishnah of this chapter discusses the physical layout of the Sanhedrin and the number of court clerks.

Hebrew Text

סנהדרין היתה כחצי גרן עגלה, כדי שיהו רואין זה את זה.

ושני סופרי הדינין עומדין לפניהם, אחד מימין ואחד משמאל וכותבין דברי המזכין ודברי המחיבין.

רבי יהודה אומר, שלשה, אחד כותב דברי המזכין ואחד כותב דברי המחיבין והשלישי כותב דברי המזכין ודברי המחיבין.

English Translation

The Sanhedrin was (organized like) half of a round granary, so that each (judge) could see each (judge). Two court scribes stood before them, one on the right and one on the left, and they wrote the words of the acquitting [defense] and the words of the convicting [prosecution]. Rabbi Yehuda says, (there were) three, one wrote the words of the acquitting and one wrote the words of the convicting, and the third wrote the words of the acquitting and the words of the convicting.

Explanation

This mishnah presents the physical description of the Sanhedrin as a semi-circle so that every judge can see every other judge. It also describes the roles of the court clerks (scribes) as one handling the arguments for acquittal and one the arguments for conviction. Rabbi Yehuda's alternate suggestion is not accepted, likely because the third scribe he presents has no specific place to stand (in contrast to the scribe on the right and the scribe on the left) and has too much work thrust upon him.