Mattheüs 23:9

Staten Vertaling

En gij zult niemand uw vader noemen op de aarde; want Een is uw Vader, namelijk Die in de hemelen is.

Parallel Translations

Gereviseerde Leidse Vertaling
Ook moet gij niemand op aarde vader noemen; want Een is uw Vader, Hij die in den hemel is.

Gereviseerde Lutherse Vertaling
En gij zult niemand Vader heten op de aarde, want n is uw Vader, Hij, die in den hemel is.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

call: 2 Kings 2:12, 2 Kings 6:21, 2 Kings 13:14, Job 32:21, Job 32:22, Acts 22:1, 1 Corinthians 4:15, 1 Timothy 5:1, 1 Timothy 5:2, Hebrews 12:9

for: Matthew 6:8, Matthew 6:9, Matthew 6:32, Malachi 1:6, Romans 8:14-17, 2 Corinthians 6:18, 1 John 3:1

Reciprocal: Judges 18:19 - a father 2 Kings 5:13 - My father Matthew 5:16 - your Father Colossians 4:1 - ye

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And call no man your father upon the earth,.... Not but that children may, and should call their natural parents, fathers; and such who have been instrumental in the conversion of souls, may be rightly called by them their spiritual fathers; as servants and scholars also, may call those that are over them, and instruct them, their masters: our Lord does not mean, by any of these expressions, to set aside all names and titles, of natural and civil distinction among men, but only to reject all such names and titles, as are used to signify an authoritative power over men's consciences, in matters of faith and obedience; in which, God and Christ are only to be attended to. Christ's sense is, that he would have his disciples not fond of any titles of honour at all; and much less assume an authority over men, as if they were to depend on them, as the founders of the Christian religion, the authors of its doctrines and ordinances; and to take that honour to themselves, which did not belong to them; nor even choose to be called by such names, as would lead people to entertain too high an opinion of them, and take off of their dependence on God the Father, and himself, as these titles the Scribes and Pharisees loved to be called by, did: and who were called not only by the name of Rabbi, but Abba, "Father", also: hence we read of Abba Saul, or "Father" Saul n; Abba Jose ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem o, Abba Chanan p, Abba Chelphetha, a man of the village of Hananiah q; Abba Gorion r, and others; and this name was

לשון כבוד כמו רבי, "a name of honour, even as Rabbi" s, and of great authority: the wise men are said to be אבות הכל, "the fathers of all" t, to whom all gave heed, and upon whom all depended, as so many oracles. There is a whole treatise in their Misna, called Pirke Abot, which contains some of the oracles, and peculiar sayings of these "fathers", the Misnic doctors, and which are preferred to the writings of Moses, and the prophets. In this sense, and upon this score, our Lord inveighs against them, and cautions his disciples against giving or taking all such titles, in such sense. "For one is your Father, which is in heaven"; who is so, both by creation and adoption, and is possessed of all paternal authority; and is to be honoured and obeyed by all; from whom all wisdom and knowledge is derived, and who has the care and government of all in heaven and in earth.

n Pirke Abot, c. 2. sect. 8. o T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 53. 2. p Ib. fol. 64. 1. q T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 94. 1. & Bava Bathra. fol. 56. 2. r Massech Sopherim, c. 15. sect. 10. s Juchasiu, fol. 31. 2. & 61. 2. t Maimon. in Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And call no man your Father ... - This does not, of course, forbid us to apply the term to our real father. Religion requires all proper honor to be shown to Him, Exodus 20:12; Matthew 15:4; Ephesians 6:1-3. But the word “father” also denotes “authority, eminence, superiority, a right to command, and a claim to particular respect.” In this sense it is used here. In this sense it belongs eminently to God, and it is not right to give it to people. Christian brethren are equal. Only God has supreme authority. He only has a right to give laws; to declare doctrines that shall bind the conscience; to punish disobedience. The Jewish teachers affected that title because they seem to have supposed that a teacher formed the man, or gave him real life, and sought, therefore, to be called father. Christ taught them that the source of all life and truth was God, and they ought not to seek or receive a title which properly belongs to him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:9. Call no man your FATHER] Our Lord probably alludes to the AB, or father of the Sanhedrin, who was the next after the nasi, or president. See on Matthew 20:21. By which he gives his disciples to understand that he would have no SECOND, after himself, established in his Church, of which he alone was the head; and that perfect equality must subsist among them.