Matthew 20:25
in Matthew 20But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
KJV
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
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This verse in Matthew 20
Commentary
14 notes on this verseExercise dominion - and - exercise authority upon them - They tyrannized and exercised arbitrary power over the people. This was certainly true of the governments in our Lord’s time, both in the east and in the west. I have endeavored to express, as nearly as possible, the meaning of the two Greek verbs, κατακυριευουσιν, and κατεξουσιαζουσιν; and those who understand the genius of the language will perceive that I have not exhausted their sense, however some may think that no emphasis was intended, and that these compound verbs are used for the simple κυριευειν, and εξουσιαζειν.
This site's exposition
moved with indignation
on Matthew 20:24-25
The ten heard it, and were moved with indignation against the two brethren, and the bench reads their anger as no purer than James and John's own ambition, envy at being nearly outmaneuvered rather than a righteous objection to the request itself. Jesus calls all twelve together and names the pattern they are unconsciously copying, the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them, describing the ordinary shape of worldly power as domination secured and displayed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(Verses 25 and following) But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'
That is, not content merely to rule over their subjects, they are severe and oppressive. But among you who are Mine these things shall not be so; for as all carnal things are done by compulsion, but spiritual things by free-will, so those rulers who are spiritual ought to rest their power in the love of their subjects, not in their fears.
But the meek and lowly Master neither charges the two with ambition, nor rebukes the ten for their spleen and jealousy; but, Jesus called them unto him.
By thus calling them to Him, and speaking to them face to face, he sooths them in their discomposure; for the two had been speaking with the Lord apart by themselves. But not now as before does He it by bringing forward a child, but He proves it to them by reasoning from contraries; Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them. He shows here that it is of the Gentiles to desire preeminence; and by this comparison of the Gentiles He calms their troubled souls.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 65 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"Then were the ten moved with indignation with respect to the two." Then. When? When He had reproved them. So long as the judgment was Christ's, they were not moved with indignation; but seeing them preferred, they were contented, and held their peace, out of reverence and honor to their Master. And if they were vexed in mind, yet they dared not utter this. And when they had some feeling of human weakness towards Peter, at the time that He gave the didrachmas, they did not give way to anger, but asked only, "Who then is greatest?" But since here the request was the disciples', they are moved with indignation. And not even here are they straightway moved with indignation, when they asked, but when Christ had reproved them, and had said they should not enjoy the first honors, unless they showed themselves worthy of these. Seest thou how they were all in an imperfect state, when both these were lifting themselves up above the ten, and those envying the two? But, as I said, show me them after these things, and thou wilt see them delivered from all these passions. Hear at least how this same John, he who now came to Him for these things, everywhere gives up the first place to Peter, both in addressing the people, and in working miracles, in the Acts of the Apostles. And he conceals not Peter's good deeds, but relates both the confession, which he openly made when all were silent, and his entering into the tomb, and puts the apostle before himself. For, because both continued with Him at His crucifixion, taking away the ground of his own commendation, he saith, "That disciple was known unto the high priest." But James survived not a long time, but from the beginning he was so greatly filled with warmth, and so forsook all the things of men, and mounted up to an height unutterable, as straightway to be slain. […]
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
Indeed, to desire a good work is good, for it is within our will, and ours is the reward; but to desire a primacy of honour is vanity. For when we attain this we are judged of God, because we know not whether in our precedence of honour we deserve the reward of righteousness. For not even an Apostle will have praise with God, because he is an Apostle, but if he has well fulfilled the duties of his Apostleship; nor was an Apostle placed in honour as an Apostle, for any previous merit of his; but was judged meet for that ministry, on account of the disposition of his mind. For high place courts him who flies from it, and shuns him who courts it. A better life then, and not a more worthy degree, should be our object. The Lord therefore, willing to check the ambition of the two sons of Zebedee, and the indignation of the others, points out this distinction between the chief men of the world, and those of the Church, showing that the primacy in Christ is neither to be sought by him who has it not, nor envied by him who has it. For men become masters in this world that they may exercise domination over their inferiors, and reduce them to slavery, and rob them, and employ them even to death for their own profit and glory. But men become governors in the Church, that they may serve those who are under them, and minister to them whatever they have received of Christ, that they may postpone their own convenience, and mind that of others, and not refuse even to die for the sake of those beneath them. To seek therefore a command in the Church is neither righteous, nor profitable. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
As the ten were stirred up when they heard this, He called them to Himself, and by His calling, before any words were spoken, He calmed them. For the sons of Zebedee spoke to Him after they had separated themselves from the others. Therefore He …
Next, he reproves them. And first, he sets forth the example of the Gentiles; secondly, he teaches that the example is not to be followed, at you know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; thirdly, he sets forth what is to …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles Lord it over them - And hence you imagine, the chief in my kingdom will do as they: but it will be quite otherwise.
But Jesus called them unto him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
These verses are few in number, but they contain lessons of great importance to all professing Christians. Let us see what they are. In the first place we learn that there may be pride, jealousy and love of preeminence even among true disciples of Christ. What sayeth the Scripture? When the ten heard what James and John had asked, “they were moved with indignation against the two brothren.” Pride is one of the oldest and most mischievous of sins: by it the angels fell, for they “kept not their first estate.” ( Jude 6 ).
These verses are few in number, but they contain lessons of great importance to all professing Christians. Let us see what they are. In the first place we learn that there may be pride, jealousy and love of preeminence even among true disciples of Christ. What sayeth the Scripture? When the ten heard what James and John had asked, “they were moved with indignation against the two brothren.” Pride is one of the oldest and most mischievous of sins: by it the angels fell, for they “kept not their first estate.” ( Jude 6 ). Through pride Adam and Eve were seduced into eating the forbidden fruit: they were not content with their lot, and thought they would be “as gods.” From pride the saints of God receive their greatest injuries after their conversion. Well says Hooker, “Pride is a vice which cleaveth so fast unto the hearts of men that if we were to strip ourselves of all faults one by one, we should undoubtedly find it the very last and hardest to put off.” It is a quaint but true saying of Bishop Hall, that “pride is the inmost coat, which we put off last, and which we put on first.” In the second place we learn that a life of self-denying kindness to others is the true secret of greatness in the kingdom of Christ. What sayeth the Scripture? “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister whoever will be chief among you let him be your servant.” The standard of the world and the standard of the Lord Jesus are widely different. They are more than different: they are flatly contradictory one to the other. Among the children of this world he is thought the greatest man who has most land, most money, most servants, most rank and most earthly power; among the children of God he is reckoned the greatest who does most to promote the spiritual and temporal happiness of his fellow-creatures.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| προσκαλεσάμενος | proskalesamenos | having called to [him] | G4341 → | 28 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| οἴδατε | oidate | You know | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄρχοντες | archontes | rulers | G758 → | 37 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐθνῶν | ethnon | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| κατακυριεύουσιν | katakurieuousin | exercise lordship over | G2634 → | |
| αὐτῶν, | auton | them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μεγάλοι | megaloi | great ones | G3173 → | 243 times |
| κατεξουσιάζουσιν | katexousiazousin | exercise authority over | G2715 → | |
| αὐτῶν. | auton | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
Ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
προσκαλεσάμενοςhaving called to [him]
proskalesamenosG4341 →28 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
εἶπεν·said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
οἴδατεYou know
oidate
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἄρχοντεςrulers
archontesG758 →37 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐθνῶνGentiles
ethnonG1484 →161 times
κατακυριεύουσινexercise lordship over
katakurieuousinG2634 →
αὐτῶν,them,
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μεγάλοιgreat ones
megaloiG3173 →243 times
κατεξουσιάζουσινexercise authority over
katexousiazousinG2715 →
αὐτῶν.them.
autonG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
2 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 10:42So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
it leads to
- Luke 22:25
So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.
- 1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
- Luke 22:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Matthew
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 65; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.