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Mat 23:8. Μὴ κληθῆτε, be ye not called) i.e. do not ye be thus treated, nor seek to be thus treated.-εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ Διδάσκαλος, for one is your Teacher[987]) Others read, ΕἿς ΓΆΡ ἘΣΤΙΝ ὙΜῶΝ Ὁ ΚΑΘΗΓΗΤῊς, Ὁ ΧΡΙΣΤΌς,[988] for one is your Guide, even Christ. And this is indeed found in Mat 23:10; in the present instance, however, it is our Heavenly Father who is spoken of; cf. ch. Mat 16:17; Joh 6:45; Act 10:28; Gal 1:1; Gal 1:15; Eph 1:9; Psa 25:12; Psa 32:8. Therefore our Lord adds, but all ye are brethren, which principle applies also to the ninth verse, that we should neither ourselves be called masters, nor call any one on earth father. Christ is treated of in verse 10, and verse 11 is appropriately subjoined. Cf. concerning the Father as Teacher, and Christ as Guide, ch. Mat 11:25; Mat 11:27.-ἐστέ, ye are) The indicative mood.[989]
[987] E. V. “one is your Master.”-(I. B.)
[988] Such is the reading of E. M.
[989] i.e. not the imperative, “Be ye,” as it might be rendered.-(I. B.)
In his App. Crit. Bengel writes thus:-“καθηγητῆς) edd. Bas. α. β. γ. etc. Exo 5:10 (διδάσκαλος), Aug. 1. 4, in duabus pericopis, Bodl. 7, Colb 3, Gal. Go. Lin. Mont. N. 1, Par. 1. 4, Roe. Seld. 1, Steph. ε, Vsser. 2, Wheel. 1, et alii apud Erasmum et Bezam; Orig. Chrysost. ad h. 1. et Homil. 77 in Ioh., Arab. Syr. Probat Beza, Grotius, Seldenus, nec non L. de Dieu, Rus.
“¶ ὁ Χριστὸς) edd. etc. Exo 5:10 (\) [i.e. for the omission], Bas. unus, γ. opinor. Eph. Med. Vss. 1, duo apud Bezam, Aeth. Arab. Armen. Copt. Lat. (et inde Cant. quem tamen Beza videtur innuere, Colb. 8), Pers. Syr. Orig. Chrysostomus clare. Theophyl. in comm. Vid. Gnom.”
Tishendorf, Lachmann, and Wordsworth read διδάσκαλος, but they do not omit ὁ Χριστός.-(I. B.)
Ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος is the reading of B; “vester doctor,” d; “vobis magister,” Cypr.; “magister vester,” abc and Vulg. But ὑμῶν ὁ καθηγήτης, D; to which Rec. Text adds ὁ Χριστός.-ED.
Some one of the learned has supposed it more probable that the term καθηγήτης, as being one of less common occurrence, has been changed by transcribers into διδάσκαλος, rather than that διδάσκαλος has been substituted instead of καθηγητής. But the arguments drawn from solid criticism have more weight than such mere conjectures; not to mention that the other conjecture, by which καθηγητὴς is supposed to be transferred from Mat 23:10 (as to which there is no dispute), has at least as much show of probability. Cf. App. Grit. Ed. ii., p. 133.-E. B.