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.
• 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

6And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, 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 23:10And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.
• 2 Corinthians 1:24But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.
• 2 Corinthians 4:5You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
• James 3:1Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
• 1 Peter 5:3Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.
• Matthew 10:25Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!
• Matthew 17:5But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
• Matthew 26:49So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
• John 13:13You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.
• Romans 14:9Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
• 1 Corinthians 1:12Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?
• Luke 22:32But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
• Ephesians 3:15the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
• Colossians 1:1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
• Revelation 1:9I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my 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

• 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