Matthew 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave--

◄ Matthew 20:27 ►

New International Version
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

New Living Translation
and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

English Standard Version
and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

Berean Standard Bible
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—

Berean Literal Bible
and whoever wishes to be first among you, he will be your slave--

King James Bible
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

New King James Version
And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

New American Standard Bible
and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave;

NASB 1995
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;

NASB 1977
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;

Legacy Standard Bible
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;

Amplified Bible
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave;

Christian Standard Bible
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;

American Standard Version
and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:

Contemporary English Version
And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of the rest.

English Revised Version
and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whoever wants to be most important among you will be your slave.

Good News Translation
and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others--

International Standard Version
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

Majority Standard Bible
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave?

NET Bible
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave--

New Heart English Bible
And whoever desires to be first among you must be your slave,

Webster's Bible Translation
And whoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Weymouth New Testament
and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;

World English Bible
Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;

Berean Literal Bible
and whoever wishes to be first among you, he will be your slave--

Young's Literal Translation
and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;

Smith's Literal Translation
And whoever would be first among you, let him be your servant:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that will be first among you, shall be your servant.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And whoever will want to be first among you, he shall be your servant,

New American Bible
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

New Revised Standard Version
and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be a servant to you;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And whoever wants to be first among you let him be a servant to you.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And whoever will be first among you, let him be your servant;

Godbey New Testament
and whosoever may wish to be first among you, shall be your slave:

Haweis New Testament
and whosoever will be first, let him be your slave.

Mace New Testament
and whoever would be chief among you, let him be your servant.

Weymouth New Testament
and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;

Worrell New Testament
but whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant;

Worsley New Testament
let him be your servant:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

A Mother's Request
…26It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Mark 10:44
and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.

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.

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 2:7
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Matthew 23:11
The greatest among you shall be your servant.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

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

Treasury of Scripture

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

whosoever.

Matthew 18:4
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 9:33-35
And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? …

Luke 22:26
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 20

1. Jesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man;
17. foretells his passion;
20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble;
29. and gives two blind men their sight.

Berean Study Bible

and whoever
This phrase opens the verse with an inclusive invitation, indicating that the teaching applies to anyone who desires greatness. The Greek word used here is "ὅς" (hos), which is a relative pronoun meaning "whoever" or "anyone who." It emphasizes the universality of Jesus' message, suggesting that the path to true greatness is open to all, regardless of status or position. This aligns with the Christian belief that God's kingdom is accessible to everyone who seeks it with a humble heart.

wants to be first
The desire to be "first" is a natural human inclination, often associated with ambition and leadership. The Greek word for "first" is "πρῶτος" (prōtos), which can mean first in rank, influence, or honor. In the context of the disciples' earlier argument about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus redefines what it means to be "first." Instead of seeking power or prestige, true greatness in the kingdom of God is characterized by humility and service.

among you
This phrase situates the teaching within the community of believers. The Greek "ἐν ὑμῖν" (en hymin) indicates that this principle of servanthood is to be practiced within the fellowship of Christ's followers. It underscores the communal aspect of Christian life, where relationships are marked by mutual service and love, reflecting the unity and humility that Jesus exemplified.

must be
The phrase "must be" conveys a sense of necessity and obligation. The Greek word "ἔσται" (estai) is a form of the verb "to be," indicating a state of being that is required or expected. This imperative highlights that servanthood is not optional for those who wish to lead in God's kingdom; it is an essential characteristic of true discipleship.

your slave
The term "slave" is translated from the Greek word "δοῦλος" (doulos), which refers to a bondservant or one who is in a position of complete subservience. In the historical context of the Roman Empire, a slave had no rights and was entirely at the disposal of their master. Jesus' use of this term is radical, as it turns the social hierarchy upside down. In the kingdom of God, the greatest are those who willingly take the lowest position, serving others selflessly. This teaching challenges believers to emulate Christ, who "made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7, BSB), and to live lives marked by humility and sacrificial love.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Whosoever will be chief.--Better, first, as continuing the thought of Matthew 20:16. The "servant" (better, slave) implies a lower and more menial service than that of the "minister" of the preceding verse, just as the "chief" or "first" involves a higher position than the "greatness" there spoken of. We introduce a false antithesis if we assign the "service" to this life, and the "greatness" as its reward to the life after death. The true teaching of the words is that the greatness is the service.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 27. - Whosoever will be (qe/lh""... εϊναι) chief (first, πρῶτος)... servant (bondservant, δοῦλος). The characteristic of the Christian ruler should be humility. Christ enforces the teaching of the previous verse more emphatically by altering the terms in which it was stated. "Great" now becomes "first;" "minister," "slave." Of these two last words the former would imply rather occasional service, to meet some temporary call; the latter, the regular business of a slave bound to his master at all times. We do not gather from this passage that the Christian minister, called by God, is to take his doctrine from his congregation, or to be directed by them in his labours; but he is to devote time, talents, faculties, to the good of his flock, to spend and be spent in their service, to let no private interests or pursuits interfere with his manifold duties to those whom he oversees. The same sentiment is found in Matthew 23:11.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

whoever
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

wants
θέλῃ (thelē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

to be
εἶναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

first
πρῶτος (prōtos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4413: First, before, principal, most important. Contracted superlative of pro; foremost.

among
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

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

must 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.

slave—
δοῦλος (doulos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

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NT Gospels: Matthew 20:27 Whoever desires to be first among you (Matt. Mat Mt)