Back to Today
Matthew 23:11
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
Permalink Verse page
Interpretation

Matthew 23:11 shows a greatest servant that is lived within family life—see "who" and "greatest". Let greatest servant in what we celebrate and refuse—turn hope into steady work.

Context

The setting is Matthew—gospel narrative, highlighting greatest servant. Within ch. 23, a small unit frames the emphasis. Watch the terms “who” and “greatest”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate Matthew with Matthew the disciple, once a tax collector. Many scholars judge Matthew as follows: Initially anonymous; tradition later assigns Matthew; engages Mark alongside a sayings tradition.. Date: AD 80–90. Matthew seems aimed at Jewish‑Christian community.. Jesus teaches as a new Moses figure. Readers often compare Matthew’s arrangement and sources with Mark and Q.

More details
Traditional:Matthew the tax collector
Modern scholarship:Anonymous; attributed to Matthew; uses Mark + Q source.
Date:AD 80–90
Audience:Jewish‑Christian community.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in over 5,800 manuscripts, more than any other surviving ancient work. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within 100–150 years of composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the probably reflects the initial text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46