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King James Bible - Matthew 23:9

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SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:9

Y vuestro padre no llam�is a nadie en la tierra; porque uno es vuestro Padre, el cual est� en los cielos.

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Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 23:9

Verse 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 chap. xx. 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.

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John Gill's Bible Commentary

Ver. 9. And call no man your father upon the earth , etc.] 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 f1246 ; Abba Jose ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem f1247 , Abba Chanan f1248 , Abba Chelphetha, a man of the village of Hananiah f1249 ; Abba Gorion f1250 , and others; and this name was ybr wmk dwbk �w�l , �a name of honour, even as Rabbi� f1251 , and of great authority: the wise men are said to be lkh twba , �the fathers of all� f1252 , 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.

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Matthew Henry Commentary

Verses 1-12 - The scribes and Pharisees explained the law of Moses, and enforce obedience to it. They are charged with hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to outward appearance; but God searches the heart They made phylacteries. These were scrolls of paper or parchment wherein were written four paragraphs of the law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms, Ex 13:2-10; 13:11-16; De 6:4-9; 11:13-21. The made these phylacteries broad, that they might be thought more zealou for the law than others. God appointed the Jews to make fringes upo their garments, Nu 15:38, to remind them of their being a peculia people; but the Pharisees made them larger than common, as if they wer thereby more religious than others. Pride was the darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and which ou Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against. For him that is taugh in the word to give respect to him that teaches, is commendable; but for him that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up with it, is sinful How much is all this against the spirit of Christianity! The consisten disciple of Christ is pained by being put into chief places. But wh that looks around on the visible church, would think this was the spirit required? It is plain that some measure of this antichristia spirit prevails in every religious society, and in every one of ou hearts.

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Greek Textus Receptus

και 2532 CONJ πατερα 3962 N-ASM μη 3361 PRT-N καλεσητε 2564 5661 V-AAS-2P υμων 5216 P-2GP επι 1909 PREP της 3588 T-GSF γης 1093 N-GSF εις 1520 A-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM πατηρ 3962 N-NSM υμων 5216 P-2GP ο 3588 T-NSM εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPM ουρανοις 3772 N-DPM

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Vincent's NT Word Studies

9. Father (patera). Aimed at those who courted the title Abba, or Father. Compare the title Papa-Pope.

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Robertson's NT Word Studies

23:9 {Call no man your father} (patera me kalesete h-mwn). Jesus meant the full sense of this noble word for our heavenly Father. "Abba was not commonly a mode of address to a living person, but a title of honor for Rabbis and great men of the past" (McNeile). In Gethsemane Jesus said: "Abba, Father" (#Mr 14:36). Certainly the ascription of "Father" to pope and priest seems out of harmony with what Jesus here says. He should not be understood to be condemning the title to one's real earthly father. Jesus often leaves the exceptions to be supplied.