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.
• 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.
• 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

6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

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 23:10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
• 2 Corinthians 1:24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
• 2 Corinthians 4:5For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
• James 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
• 1 Peter 5:3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
• Matthew 10:25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
• Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
• Matthew 26:49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
• John 13:13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
• Romans 14:9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
• Luke 22:32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
• Ephesians 3:15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
• Colossians 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
• Revelation 1:9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because 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