Matthew 20:27

27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

Matthew 20:27 in Other Translations

27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

27 Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;

Matthew 20:27 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 20:27

And whosoever will be chief among you
Or first, or have the pre-eminence, the first place in the kingdom of the Messiah,

let him be your servant;
or, as in Mark, shall be servant of
all:
not only a minister, but a servant; not a servant of some only, but of all. This was verified in the Apostle Paul, who became a servant to all men, though he was free, that he might gain some to Christ; and by so doing was the chief, though he reckoned himself the least of the apostles, yea, less than the least of all saints. The Jews have a saying somewhat like this, that ^F8

``everyone that makes himself (dbek) , as a servant, for the words of the law in this world, shall be made free in the world to come.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 35. 2.

Matthew 20:27 In-Context

25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

28 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.”

29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.