Bible Dictionaries
Master

Holman Bible Dictionary

Scripture uses master in two basic senses: (1) one in authority and (2) teacher. 1. As one in authority, master applies to slaveholders and to heads of households (which in biblical times frequently included slaves or servants). Greek terms translated master (of servants or a household) include despotes, kyrios, oikodeshypotes (Mark 13:35; Luke 13:25; Luke 14:21; Luke 16:13; Ephesians 6:9 ). 2 . KJV regularly translated the Greek didaskalos (teacher) as master in the Gospels (as in Matthew 8:19; Matthew 9:11 ). KJV twice rendered kathegetse (guide, teacher) as master (Matthew 23:8 ,Matthew 23:8,23:10 ). KJV sometimes also translated rabbi (rabbi, teacher) and rabboni (my rabbi, my teacher) as master (Matthew 26:25; Mark 9:5; John 4:31 ). Modern translations render the above terms as teacher or rabbi. Luke often uses epistates (manager, chief) where Matthew and Mark have teacher (didaskalos), rabbi, or Lord (for example, Luke 5:5; Luke 8:24 ,Luke 8:24,8:45; Luke 9:33 ,Luke 9:33,9:49; Luke 17:13 ).