Matthew 23:8

Matthew 23:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
• New International Version (NIV)“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.

Context of Matthew 23:8

6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

Matthew 23:8 word by word

ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ κληθῆτε ῥαββί· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος πάντες δὲ ὑμεῖς ἀδελφοί ἐστε.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• beκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• notμήmē · notG3361
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• Rabbiῥαββίrhabbi · RabbiG4461
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• Masterὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Masterκαθηγητήςkathēgētēs · teacherG2519
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80

Cross-references for Matthew 23:8

• Matthew 23:10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 1:24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.
• 2 Corinthians 4:5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
• James 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
• 1 Peter 5:3not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
• Matthew 10:25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
• Matthew 17:5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
• Matthew 26:49And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him.
• John 13:13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
• Romans 14:9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."
• 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
• Luke 22:32but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
• Ephesians 3:15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
• Colossians 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
• Revelation 1:9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Commentaries on Matthew 23:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8But be not ye called Rabbi - As our Lord probably spoke in Hebrew, the latter word rabbi, in this verse, must have been in the plural; but as the contracted form of the plural sounds almost exactly like the singular, the Greek writer would naturally express them both in the same letters. None of the prophets had ever received this title, nor any of the Jewish doctors before the time of Hillel and Shammai, which was about the time of our Lord; and, as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Be not ye … - Jesus forbade his disciples to seek such titles of distinction. The reason which he gave was that he was himself their Master and Teacher, They were on a level; they were to be equal in authority; they were brethren; and they should neither covet nor receive a title which implied either an elevation of one above another, or which appeared to infringe on the absolute right of the Saviour to be their only Teacher and Master. The direction here…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Rabbi: In Judaism, these men were authoritative mediators for sharing knowledge about God (see Matthew 23:7). But under the new covenant, there is only one authoritative teacher, Jesus himself as the Messiah (see Jeremiah 31:31–34).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master--your Guide, your Teacher.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 23:8

• Church
• Ecclesiasticism
• Fellowship
• Fraternity
• Hypocrisy
• Jesus Continued
• Man
• Master
• Minister, Christian
• Pharisees
• Pride
• Rabbi
• Satire
• Teachers
• Unity

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Abase
• Bewray
• Devour
• Exalt
• Fill
• Gnat
• Ought
• Partaker

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