The scribe called Jesus teacher
(didaskale: the Greek form of the Hebrew rabbi) because, while the scribes felt that their knowledge of the law meant that they did not need Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 9:12–13), Nicodemus’ visit implied Jesus’ influence among the scribes as a teacher (John 3:1–21).
The man was a scribe, that is, an expert in the law. These men, as a rule, regarded themselves as teachers of the law and as such had no desire to listen to the teachings of Jesus (see Matthew 9:12–13). This does not imply that Jesus did not have a very tangible influence among them, however (see John 3:1–21). Here in Matthew 8:19 we also see how a scribe addresses Jesus as a teacher, just like Nicodemus had.1 The scribe here addresses Jesus as didaskale, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew word rabbi, which is how teachers were commonly addressed at the time.2
19 Un scribe s'approcha, et lui dit: Maître, je te suivrai partout où tu iras.