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

7They like people to praise them in the market place. They want people to call them “Teacher.” 8You all belong to God's family. You have only one Teacher. So nobody should call another person, “Teacher”. Also, do not call any other person in the world, “Father”. You have only one Father, and he is in heaven. 10And do not call each other “Leader”. You have only one Leader. He is the Messiah that God has chosen. 11The person among you who is most important 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 2:12When Elisha saw this, he shouted, ‘My father! My father! You are riding in Israel's chariot! Israel's men are riding on the horses!’ After that, Elisha could not see Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and he tore them into pieces because he was very upset.
• 2 Kings 6:21When the king of Israel saw the Syrian army in his city, he asked Elisha, ‘My master, what should I do? Should I kill them?’
• 2 Kings 13:14When Jehoash was still king of Israel, Elisha became very ill. It was the illness from which he would soon die. Jehoash went to visit him. Jehoash stood beside Elisha and he wept. Jehoash said, ‘My father! My father! You are riding in Israel's chariot! Israel's men are riding on the horses!’
• Job 32:21I will be fair in what I say. I will not give honour to anyone to get their help.
• Acts 22:1Paul said to the crowd, ‘Please, listen to me, you Jewish leaders and all you other people who are Jews like me. I want to explain to you what has happened here.’
• 1 Corinthians 4:15When I told the good news about Jesus Christ to you, I became like a father for you. You may have ten thousand teachers to help you understand the message about Christ. But I am the only person who is like a father for you.
• 1 Timothy 5:1Do not speak strongly to an older man and tell him what he must do. Instead, ask him in a kind way, as you would speak to your father. Speak to younger men as you would speak to your brothers.
• Hebrews 12:9Also, we have all had human fathers who punished us. As a result, we respected them. So think about our Father that our spirits belong to. We must surely obey him, and then he will give us true life.
• Matthew 6:8Do not pray like they do. God your Father already knows what you need. He knows this even before you ask him.
• Malachi 1:6The Lord Almighty says this to the priests: ‘A son respects his father. A servant respects his master. If I am really your father and your master, why do you not respect me? You are my priests, but you insult my name. But then you ask, “What have we done to insult your name?”
• Romans 8:14All those people who live with God's Spirit as their guide are God's children.
• 2 Corinthians 6:18He also says: ‘I will be a Father to you. You will be my sons and my daughters. That is what the Almighty Lord God says.’
• 1 John 3:1Think about how much God the Father loves us. He calls us his children! God loves us so much that we really have become his children. The people who belong to this world do not understand who God is. Because of that, they do not understand who we are.

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