Matthew 23:8

King James Version

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"But you must not be called ‘Teacher.' You are all equal as brothers and sisters. You have only one Teacher.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But ye shall not suffre youre selves to be called Rabi. For one is youre master that is to wyt Christ and all ye are brethre.

International Standard Version
"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,'Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher">[fn] for you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.2 Corinthians 1:24; James 3:1; 1 Peter 5:3;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
"But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.

New Century Version
"But you must not be called ‘Teacher,' because you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters together.

Update Bible Version
But don't be called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all you are brothers.

Webster's Bible Translation
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Amplified Bible
"But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.

English Standard Version
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

World English Bible
But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.

Weymouth's New Testament
"As for you, do not accept the title of `Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But nyle ye be clepid maister; for oon is youre maystir, and alle ye ben britheren.

English Revised Version
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.

Berean Standard Bible
But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Contemporary English Version
But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters.

American Standard Version
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.

Bible in Basic English
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.

Complete Jewish Bible
"But you are not to let yourselves be called ‘Rabbi'; because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each other's brothers.

Darby Translation
But *ye*, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all *ye* are brethren.

Etheridge Translation
But be you not called Râbi: for One is your Master; but all ye are brethren.

Murdock Translation
But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Rabbi, and ye are all brethren.

King James Version (1611)
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, euen Christ, and all ye are brethren.

New Living Translation
"Don't let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.

New Life Bible
"But you are not to be called teacher. There is only one Teacher, and all of you are brothers.

New Revised Standard
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But be not ye called, Rabbi: for one is your doctour, to wit, Christ, and all ye are brethren.

George Lamsa Translation
But you do not be called, Rabbi; for one is your Master, and all you are brethren.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, ye, - do not be called Rabbi, - for, one, is your Teacher, and, all ye, are brethren;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master: and all you are brethren.

Revised Standard Version
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But be not ye called Rabbi: For one is your maister, [euen] Christe, and all ye are brethren.

Good News Translation
You must not be called ‘Teacher,' because you are all equal and have only one Teacher.

Christian Standard Bible®
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,

Hebrew Names Version
But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Messiah, and all of you are brothers.

Lexham English Bible
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,' because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers,

Literal Translation
But do not you be called Rabbi, for One is your Leader, the Christ, and you are all brothers.

Young's Literal Translation
`And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye shal not suffre youre selues to be called Rabbi, for one is youre master, euen Christ, and all ye are brethren.

Mace New Testament (1729)
But don't you assume that title, for you have but one doctor, who is the Christ; as for you, you are all brethren alike.

THE MESSAGE
"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

New English Translation
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.

New King James Version
But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, [fn] and you are all brethren.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"But y'all cowboys who ride for me don't need fancy titles. Y'all have only one Boss and you are all brothers.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Legacy Standard Bible
But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Contextual Overview

¹ Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, ² Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: ³ All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. ⁴ For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ⁵ But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, ⁶ And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, ⁷ And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. ⁸ But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. ⁹ And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be: Matthew 23:10, 2 Corinthians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 4:5, James 3:1, 1 Peter 5:3

one: Matthew 10:25, Matthew 17:5, Matthew 26:49, John 13:13, John 13:14, Romans 14:9, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Corinthians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 3:3-5

all: Luke 22:32, Ephesians 3:15, Colossians 1:1, Colossians 1:2, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:9

Reciprocal: Matthew 20:26 - it Matthew 26:18 - The Master Mark 10:43 - whosoever Mark 14:45 - Master Luke 22:26 - General John 1:38 - Rabbi John 20:16 - Rabboni Acts 6:3 - brethren 1 Corinthians 4:6 - that ye 1 Corinthians 7:23 - be Colossians 1:18 - in all Colossians 4:1 - ye 1 Timothy 5:1 - as brethren 1 Timothy 6:2 - because they are brethren Philemon 1:16 - a brother

Cross-References

Genesis 23:1
And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Genesis 23:2
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Genesis 23:3
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

Genesis 23:4
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

Genesis 25:9
And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

1 Kings 2:17
And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

Hebrews 7:26
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But be not ye called Rabbi,.... Do not be ambitious of any such title, fond of it, or affect it, or be elated with it, should it be given you; nor look upon yourselves as men of power and authority over others; as having the dominion over men's faith, a power to make laws for others, impose them in a magisterial way, and bind and loose men's consciences at pleasure, as these men do:

for one is your master, even Christ; meaning himself, the true Messiah, the head of the church, King of saints, and Lord of all; who had all power in heaven and in earth, to make laws, appoint ordinances, and oblige men to receive his doctrines, and obey his commands: the word "Christ", is left out in the Vulgate Latin, the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; but is in the Arabic version, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and in all the ancient Greek copies Beza consulted, excepting two: no other indeed can be meant; he is the great Rabbi, and doctor, that is to be hearkened to, and the master we are all to obey:

and all ye are brethren; not merely as the descendants of Adam, but as being in a spiritual relation, the children of God, and disciples of Christ, and so have no superiority one over another: this may regard the disciples, both as believers and Christians, partakers of the same grace, and standing in the same relation to God, Christ, and one another, and having an equal right to the same privileges: and as apostles and ministers, one as such, no, not Peter, having no pre-eminence over the other, having the same commission, doctrine, and authority, one as the other.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Be 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 is an express command to his disciples not to receive such a title of distinction. They were not to covet it; they were not to seek it; they were not to do anything that implied a wish or a willingness that it should be appended to their names. Everything which would tend to make a distinction among them or destroy their parity - everything which would lead the world to suppose that there were ranks and grades among them as ministers, they were to avoid. It is to be observed that the command is that they were not to receive the title - “Be not ye called Rabbi.” The Saviour did not forbid them giving the title to others when it was customary or not regarded as improper (compare Acts 26:25), but they were not to receive it. It was to be unknown among them. This title corresponds with the title “Doctor of Divinity” as applied to ministers of the gospel; and, so far as I can see, the spirit of the Saviour’s command is violated by the reception of such a title, as really as it would have been by their being called “Rabbi.” It makes a distinction among ministers. It tends to engender pride and a sense of superiority in those who obtain it, and envy and a sense of inferiority in those who do not; and the whole spirit and tendency of it is contrary to the “simplicity that is in Christ.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:8. But 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 disputes on several subjects had run high between these two schools, the people were of course divided; some acknowledging Hillel as rabbi, - infallible teacher, and others giving this title to Shammai. The Pharisees, who always sought the honour that comes from men, assumed the title, and got their followers to address them by it. See on Matthew 19:3.

One is your Master — Instead of καθηγητης, guide or leader, (the common reading here, and which occurs in Matthew 23:10,) the famous Vatican MS., upwards of fifty others, and most of the ancient versions, read διδασκαλος, master. The most eminent critics approve of this reading and, independently of the very respectable authority by which it is supported, it is evident that this reading is more consistent with the context than the other,- Be not ye called MASTERS, for one is your MASTER.

Even Christ — Griesbach has left this out of the text, because it is wanting in many of the most excellent MSS., versions, and fathers. Mill and Bengel approve of the omission. It might have been brought into this verse from Matthew 23:10. Our Lord probably alludes to Isaiah 54:13, All thy children shall be taught of the Lord.

Ye are brethren. — No one among you is higher than another, or can possibly have from me any jurisdiction over the rest. Ye are, in this respect, perfectly equal.