Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the explanation of Allah the Exalted’s statement: ﴿Why do not the rabbis and the scholars forbid them from their sinful speech﴾: Rabbaniyun are the jurists and learned people, and they are of a higher rank than the ahbar.
Hadith Referenceسنن سعید بن منصور / كتاب التفسير / 767