Bible Strands
Matthew 23:11
The greatest among you shall be your servant.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to his followers in the midst of a series of woes against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23:1–36), immediately after rejecting the title "instructor" (v. 10) and before stating the principle that undergirds this verse (v. 12).
The words — διάκονος (diakonos) is the operative noun; its literal sense is "servant, one who serves," the same word later used for the office of deacon (Acts 6:1–6).
The thread — The same inversion appears in John 13:14 (the Lord and Teacher washing feet) and 1 Corinthians 9:19 (Paul making himself a slave to all); Galatians 5:13 closes the loop by commanding mutual service within the community.
Why it lands — It removes any path to status within the community that does not run through subordination to others; the reader is asked to check whether their desire to be honored is actually a desire to be served.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Cross-references
- 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.
- John 13:14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
- 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.
- Mark 10:43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- Luke 22:26 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.
- 2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
- Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
- Matthew 20:26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.