Matthew 20:27

Matthew 20:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
• English Standard Version (ESV)and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
• New Living Translation (NLT)and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

Context of Matthew 20:27

25Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.

Matthew 20:27 word by word

καὶ ὃς ἂν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔσται ὑμῶν δοῦλος·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whosoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• ·ἐάνean · ifG1437
• willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• chiefπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• youσύsu · youG4771
• servantδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401

Cross-references for Matthew 20:27

• Matthew 18:4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 9:33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
• Luke 22:26But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
• Acts 20:34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
• Romans 1:14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
• 1 Corinthians 9:19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
• 2 Corinthians 4:5For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
• 2 Corinthians 11:5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?

Commentaries on Matthew 20:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Your servant - the lowest secular office, as deacon was the lowest ecclesiastical office: is often put for slave. From these directions of our Lord, we may easily discern what sort of a spirit his ministers should be of. A minister of Christ is not to consider himself a lord over Christ's flock. He is not to conduct the concerns of the Church with an imperious spirit. He is to reform the weak, after Christ's example, more by loving instruction than by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 See also Mark 10:35-45. Matthew 20:20 Then came to him give mother of Zebedee‘s children … - This was probably Salome, Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1. With her sons - The names of these sons were James and John, Mark 10:35 Mark says they came and made the request. That is, they made it, as appears from Matthew, through the medium of their mother; they requested her to ask it for them. It is not improbable that she was an ambitious woman, and was…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27Often the word slave is a metaphor that describes a disciple's submissive relationship to their master (Matthew 8:9; 10:24–25; 24:45–51; 25:14–30). The disciples of Jesus serve others, following his example (for example, John 13:1–17).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 20:27

• Commandments
• Fellowship
• Humility
• Jesus, the Christ
• Man
• Minister, Christian
• Pride

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Choose
• Condemn
• Drink
• Idle
• Prepare
• Ransom
• Wrong
• Authority in Religion
• Chief

Commentaries on Matthew 20

• 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