Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. New Living Translation And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. English Standard Version And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Berean Standard Bible And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Berean Literal Bible And call no one your father on the earth; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. King James Bible And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. New King James Version Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. New American Standard Bible And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. NASB 1995 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. NASB 1977 “And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Legacy Standard Bible And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Amplified Bible Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Christian Standard Bible Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. Holman Christian Standard Bible Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. American Standard Version And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven. Contemporary English Version Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. English Revised Version And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. GOD'S WORD® Translation And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Good News Translation And you must not call anyone here on earth 'Father,' because you have only the one Father in heaven. International Standard Version And don't call anyone on earth 'Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven. Majority Standard Bible And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. NET Bible And call no one your 'father' on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. New Heart English Bible Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Webster's Bible Translation And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father who is in heaven. Weymouth New Testament And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father. World English Bible Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand you may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, Berean Literal Bible And call no one your father on the earth; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. Young's Literal Translation and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, Smith's Literal Translation And call not your father upon earth: for one is your Father, which in the heavens. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Catholic Public Domain Version And do not choose to call anyone on earth your father. For One is your Father, who is in heaven. New American Bible Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. New Revised Standard Version And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd call no one on earth, father, for one is your Father in heaven. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And you should not call yourselves “Father”, in the earth, for one is your Father who is in Heaven. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentAnd call no man on earth your father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven. Godbey New Testament Haweis New Testament And call no man your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Mace New Testament don't stile any one among you, Father upon earth; for he alone is your father, who is in heaven. Weymouth New Testament And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father. Worrell New Testament Worsley New Testament Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Woes to Scribes and Pharisees…8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.… Cross References Matthew 6:9 So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. John 20:17 “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’” 1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live? James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. 1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners. Isaiah 63:16 Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Malachi 2:10 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? Deuteronomy 32:6 Is this how you repay the LORD, O foolish and senseless people? Is He not your Father and Creator? Has He not made you and established you? Psalm 68:5 A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation. Treasury of Scripture And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. call. 2 Kings 2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 2 Kings 6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 2 Kings 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. for. Matthew 6:8,9,32 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him… Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God… Jump to Previous Alone Earth Heaven Heavenly HeavensJump to Next Alone Earth Heaven Heavenly HeavensMatthew 23 1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples5. His disciples must beware of their ambition. 13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness, 34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem. And do not call anyone on earth your father This phrase emphasizes the spiritual authority and reverence that should be reserved for God alone. In the cultural context of Jesus' time, religious leaders often sought titles that elevated their status, such as "father" or "rabbi." This directive challenges the practice of attributing spiritual authority to human leaders, reminding believers that ultimate authority comes from God. The term "father" here is not a prohibition against using the term in familial or respectful contexts, but rather a caution against attributing spiritual authority and reverence that belongs to God. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of humility and the recognition of God's sovereignty, as seen in passages like Isaiah 42:8, where God declares His glory will not be given to another. for you have one Father who is in heaven Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, delivering a message to His disciples and the crowds, warning against the practices of the Pharisees and scribes. 2. Pharisees and Scribes Religious leaders of the time who were often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy and legalism. 3. Disciples Followers of Jesus who are being instructed on how to live and lead in contrast to the religious leaders. 4. Heaven The dwelling place of God, emphasized as the true source of authority and fatherhood. 5. Jerusalem The city where Jesus delivered this teaching, a central place for Jewish worship and religious authority. Teaching Points Understanding Spiritual AuthorityRecognize that all spiritual authority ultimately comes from God, our heavenly Father. Earthly titles should not replace or overshadow this truth. Avoiding Idolatry in Relationships Be cautious of elevating human leaders to a status that belongs only to God. Respect and honor leaders, but remember that they are not substitutes for God’s fatherhood. Embracing God’s Fatherhood Cultivate a personal relationship with God as your Father. This relationship should be the foundation of your identity and spiritual life. Humility in Leadership If you are in a position of leadership, guide others with humility, pointing them to God as the ultimate authority and source of wisdom. Spiritual Mentorship While spiritual mentorship is valuable, it should always direct individuals to deepen their relationship with God, the true Father.(9) Call no man your father.--This also, under its Hebrew form of Abba, was one of the titles in which the scribes delighted. In its true use it embodied the thought that the relation of scholars and teachers was filial on the one side, paternal on the other; but precisely because it expressed so noble an idea was its merely conventional use full of danger. The history of the ecclesiastical titles of Christendom offers in this respect a singular parallel to that of the titles of Judaism. In Abbot (derived from Abba=Father), in Papa and Pope (which have risen from their application to every priest, till they culminate in the Pontifex summus of the Church of Home), in our "Father in God," as applied to Bishops, we find examples of the use of like language, liable to the same abuse. It would, of course, be a slavish literalism to see in our Lord's words an absolute prohibition of these and like words in ecclesiastical or civil life. What was meant was to warn men against so recognising, in any case, the fatherhood of men as to forget the Fatherhood of God. Even the teacher and apostle, who is a father to others, needs to remember that he is as a "little child" in the relation to God. (Comp. St. Paul's claim in 1Corinthians 4:15.)Verse 9. - Your father. This was the title given to eminent teachers and founders of schools, to whom the people were taught to look up rather than to God. It was also addressed to prophets (2 Kings 2:12; 2 Kings 6:21). In ver. 8 Christ said, "be not called;" here he uses the active, "call not," as if he would intimate that his followers must not give this honoured title to any doctor out of complaisance, or flattery, or affectation. Upon the earth. In contradistinction to heaven, where our true Father dwells. They were to follow no earthly school. They had natural lathers and spiritual fathers, but the authority of all comes from God; it is delegated, not essential; and good teachers would make men look to God, and not to themselves, as the source of power and truth. Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Andκαὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. do not call anyone καλέσητε (kalesēte) Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'. on ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. earth γῆς (gēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe. your ὑμῶν (hymōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. father, πατέρα (patera) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. for γάρ (gar) Conjunction Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason. you ὑμῶν (hymōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. [have] ἐστιν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. one εἷς (heis) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. Father, Πατὴρ (Patēr) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. who [is] ὁ (ho) Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. in heaven. οὐράνιος (ouranios) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3770: In heaven, belonging to heaven, heavenly, from heaven. From ouranos; celestial, i.e. Belonging to or coming from the sky. Links Matthew 23:9 NIVMatthew 23:9 NLT Matthew 23:9 ESV Matthew 23:9 NASB Matthew 23:9 KJV Matthew 23:9 BibleApps.com Matthew 23:9 Biblia Paralela Matthew 23:9 Chinese Bible Matthew 23:9 French Bible Matthew 23:9 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 23:9 Call no man on the earth your (Matt. Mat Mt) |
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