New English Translation
Matthew 23:8
8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
Context of Matthew 23:8
6They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues 7and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.
Read all of Matthew 23Matthew 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 23:10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 1:24I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
- 2 Corinthians 4:5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.
- James 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.
- 1 Peter 5:3And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.
- Matthew 10:25It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”
- Matthew 26:49Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him.
- John 13:13You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am.
- Romans 14:9For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
- 1 Corinthians 1:12Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?
- Luke 22:32but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
- Ephesians 3:15from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named.
- Colossians 1:1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
- Revelation 1:9I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about 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
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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