New King James Version
Matthew 20:27
27And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
Matthew 20:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
- New International Version (NIV)and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
- English Standard Version (ESV)and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,
- New Living Translation (NLT)and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
Context of Matthew 20:27
25But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 29Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.
Read all of Matthew 20Matthew 20:27 word by word
καὶ ὃς ἂν θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔσται ὑμῶν δοῦλος·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Matthew 20:27
- Matthew 18:4Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Mark 9:33Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”
- Luke 22:26But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
- Acts 20:34Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
- Romans 1:14I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
- 2 Corinthians 4:5For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
- 2 Corinthians 11:5For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.
- 2 Corinthians 12:15And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries