Matthew 23:9
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
KJV
καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος.
Greek NT
Et patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram : unus est enim pater vester qui in cælis est.
Vulgate
And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.
ASV
And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.
Douay-Rheims
Open in reader with connections →
In the original Greek
12 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.
γάρ
gar
conjunction · 1036×
γῆ
ge
noun · 251×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
εἷς
eis
adjective · 336×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
καλέω
kaleo
verb · 148×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
οὐράνιος
ouranios
adjective · 9×
πατήρ
pater
noun · 412×
ἐπί
epi
preposition · 888×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὑμεῖς
umeis
pronoun · 1828×
Textual variants
2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.
minor
SBLGNT: ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ | WH/Treg/NIV: ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ | RP: ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν
- ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ — SBLGNT
- ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
- ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: οὐράνιος | WH/Treg/NIV: οὐράνιος | RP: ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς
- οὐράνιος — SBLGNT
- οὐράνιος — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
- ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
Historic Christian voices
7 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
§2367Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God.153 "Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human a…
The Lord acknowledged but one God and Father. 1. Since, therefore, this is sure and steadfast, that no other God or Lord was announced by the Spirit, except Him who, as God, rules over all, together with His Word, and those who receive the Spirit of adoption, that is, those who believe in the one and true God, and in Jesus Christ the Son of God; and likewise that the apostles d…
Homilies on Matthew · 2 passages
2. What then says Peter, everywhere ardent, and ever starting forward before the rest? Lord, if it be Thou, says he, bid me come unto You on the water. Matthew 14:28 He said not, Pray and entreat, but, bid. Do you see how great his ardor, how great his faith? Yet surely he is hereby often in danger, by seeking things beyond his measure. For so here too he required an exceedingl…
2. For such are all they who practise self restraint in mere words, unpardoning and grievous to bear as having no experience of the difficulty in actions. And this itself too is no small fault, and in no ordinary way increases the former charge. But do thou mark, I pray you, how He aggravates this accusation also. For He did not say, they cannot, but, they will not. And He did …
Christ is the only mediator between God and us. God wills to give us all things in His name. It follows that we need no mediator outside of this life but Him. All Christians are brethren of Christ and to one another, and no one on earth should call himself father.
Cross-references
- 1Cor 1:12 — Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
- 1Cor 4:15 — For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
- 1John 3:1 — Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- 1Tim 5:1 — Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
- 2Cor 6:18 — And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
- 2Kgs 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.
- 2Kgs 6:21 — And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
- Acts 22:1 — Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
- Heb 12:9 — Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
- Job 32:21 — Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
- Mal 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
- Mark 12:29 — And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
- Matt 6:8 — Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
- Matt 6:9 — After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
- Matt 6:32 — (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
- Matt 7:11 — If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
- Rom 8:14 — For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.