Matthew 23:11
New International Version
The greatest among you will be your servant.

New Living Translation
The greatest among you must be a servant.

English Standard Version
The greatest among you shall be your servant.

Berean Standard Bible
The greatest among you shall be your servant.

Berean Literal Bible
But the greatest among you will be your servant.

King James Bible
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

New King James Version
But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

New American Standard Bible
But the greatest of you shall be your servant.

NASB 1995
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

NASB 1977
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Amplified Bible
But the greatest among you will be your servant.

Christian Standard Bible
The greatest among you will be your servant.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The greatest among you will be your servant.

American Standard Version
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Contemporary English Version
Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others.

English Revised Version
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The person who is greatest among you will be your servant.

Good News Translation
The greatest one among you must be your servant.

International Standard Version
The person who is greatest among you must be your servant.

Majority Standard Bible
The greatest among you shall be your servant.

NET Bible
The greatest among you will be your servant.

New Heart English Bible
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.

Webster's Bible Translation
But he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant.

Weymouth New Testament
He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;

World English Bible
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the greater of you will be your servant,

Berean Literal Bible
But the greatest among you will be your servant.

Young's Literal Translation
And the greater of you shall be your ministrant,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the greater of you shall be your servant.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Whoever is greater among you shall be your minister.

New American Bible
The greatest among you must be your servant.

New Revised Standard Version
The greatest among you will be your servant.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he who is greatest among you, let him be your minister.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he who is great among you will be a servant to you.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the greatest among you shall be your minister.

Godbey New Testament
And the great of you shall be your deacon.

Haweis New Testament
But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Mace New Testament
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Weymouth New Testament
He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;

Worrell New Testament
But the greater of you shall be your minister.

Worsley New Testament
But let him that is greatest among you be your minister: and whosoever will exalt himself shall be abased,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.…

Cross References
Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Luke 22:26-27
But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. / For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.

John 13:14-15
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. / I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.

Philippians 2:5-7
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: / Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, / but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Matthew 20:26-28
It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, / and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— / just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

1 John 3:16-18
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. / If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Isaiah 42:1
“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.

Isaiah 53:11
After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.


Treasury of Scripture

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Matthew 20:26,27
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; …

Mark 10:43,44
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: …

Luke 22:26,27
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve…

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Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. 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.














The greatest among you
This phrase sets the stage for a radical redefinition of greatness in the Kingdom of God. In the Greco-Roman world, greatness was often associated with power, wealth, and social status. However, Jesus challenges this notion by suggesting that true greatness is not about elevating oneself above others. The Greek word for "greatest" here is "megas," which can mean large, great, or important. Jesus is emphasizing that in His Kingdom, the measure of greatness is not external but internal, rooted in humility and service.

shall be
This phrase indicates a future state or condition, suggesting a transformation or a new way of being. The Greek word "estai" is a form of "eimi," which means "to be" or "to exist." This implies that the path to true greatness is not immediate but requires a process of becoming. It is a call to discipleship, where one's identity and purpose are aligned with the values of the Kingdom of God.

your servant
The term "servant" is translated from the Greek word "diakonos," which is the root for the English word "deacon." In the early church, a "diakonos" was someone who served others, often in practical ways. This word choice is significant because it highlights the nature of Christian leadership as one of service rather than domination. Historically, the role of a servant was lowly and humble, yet Jesus elevates it as the highest calling. This is a direct challenge to the societal norms of His time, where servants were often overlooked and undervalued. In the scriptural context, this echoes Jesus' own life and ministry, as He came "not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28, BSB).

(11) He that is greatest among you.--Literally, the greater of you. The words admit of a two-fold meaning. Either (1), as in Mark 9:35, they assert a law of retribution--the man who seeks to be greatest shall be the servant of all; or (2) they point out the other law, of which our Lord's own life was the highest illustration--that he who is really greatest will show his greatness, not in asserting it, but in a life of ministration. The latter interpretation seems to give on the whole the best meaning.

Verse 11. - But he that is greatest...your servant; διάκονος: minister (see Matthew 20:26, 27). It was there said to the apostles alone; here it is spoken more publicly to emphasize the contrast between Christian humility and Pharisaical pride and vanity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
(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.

greatest
μείζων (meizōn)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

among you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

shall be
ἔσται (estai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 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.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

servant.
διάκονος (diakonos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1249: Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 23:11 But he who is greatest among you (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 23:10
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