Matthew 23:9

Matthew 23:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Context of Matthew 23:9

7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people. 8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant.

Matthew 23:9 word by word

Καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• callκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• noμήmē · notG3361
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for Matthew 23:9

• 2 Kings 2:12As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two,
• 2 Kings 6:21When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Should I kill them, should I kill them, my father?”
• 2 Kings 13:14When Elisha became sick with the illness from which he died, King Jehoash of Israel went down and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
• Job 32:21I will be partial to no one, and I will not give anyone an undeserved title.
• Acts 22:1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:15For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• 1 Timothy 5:1Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,
• Hebrews 12:9Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?
• Matthew 6:8Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
• Malachi 1:6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.” Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name?”
• Romans 8:14For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
• 2 Corinthians 6:18And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.
• 1 John 3:1See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children — and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him.

Commentaries on Matthew 23:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Call no man your Father - Our Lord probably alludes to the Ab, or father of the Sanhedrin, who was the next after the nasi, or president. See on Matthew 20:21; (note). By which he gives his disciples to understand that he would have no Second, after himself, established in his Church, of which he alone was the head; and that perfect equality must subsist among them.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And call no man your Father … - This does not, of course, forbid us to apply the term to our real father. Religion requires all proper honor to be shown to Him, Exodus 20:12; Matthew 15:4; Ephesians 6:1-3. But the word “father” also denotes “authority, eminence, superiority, a right to command, and a claim to particular respect.” In this sense it is used here. In this sense it belongs eminently to God, and it is not right to give it to people. Christian…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Later Jewish writings show that people respected teachers by calling them Father (see, for example, Mishnah Eduyyoth 1:4). one Father: See Matthew 6:9; Malachi 2:10; compare 1 Corinthians 4:15.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven, &c.--To construe these injunctions into a condemnation of every title by which Church rulers may be distinguished from the flock which they rule, is virtually to condemn that rule itself; and accordingly the same persons do both--but against the whole strain of the New Testament and sound Christian judgment. But when we have guarded ourselves against these extremes…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:9

• Ecclesiasticism
• Father
• God Continued...
• Hypocrisy
• Minister, Christian
• Pharisees
• Satire
• Teachers

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Father
• Fill
• Gnat
• Ought
• Partaker
• Scribes

Commentaries on Matthew 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings