English Standard Version
Matthew 23:9
9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father.
Context of Matthew 23:9
7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And 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. 11The greatest among you shall be your servant.
Read all of Matthew 23Matthew 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 2:12And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
- 2 Kings 6:21As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
- 2 Kings 13:14Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"
- Job 32:21I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person.
- Acts 22:1"Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you."
- 1 Corinthians 4:15For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
- 1 Timothy 5:1Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,
- Hebrews 12:9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
- Matthew 6:8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
- Malachi 1:6"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
- Romans 8:14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."
- 1 John 3:1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not 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
In the dictionaries
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
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