Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 13:13
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.
13. Master and Lord ] Or, The Master ( Teacher) and the Lord. These are the ordinary titles of respect paid to a Rabbi: ‘Lord’ is the correlative of ‘servant,’ so that ‘Master’ might be a synonym for that also; but the disciples would no doubt use the word with deeper meaning as their knowledge of their Master increased. In the next verse the order of the titles is reversed, to give emphasis to the one with this deeper meaning.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye call me Master – Teacher.
And Lord – This word is applied to one who rules, and is often given to God as being the Proprietor and Ruler of all things. It is given to Christ many hundred times in the New Testament.
Ye say well … – Mat 23:8, Mat 23:10.
So I am – That is, he was their Teacher and Instructor, and he was their Sovereign and King.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. Ye call me Master and Lord] , similar to Rabbi, and Mar, titles very common among the Jewish doctors, as may be seen in Schoettgen. This double title was not given except to the most accredited teachers, Rabbi vemore, my master, my lord!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The disciples in their ordinary discourses called Christ
Master and Lord; nor was it a name improper for him, for he was their Master to instruct them, their Lord to rule, guide, and govern them: now, saith our Saviour, disciples ought to obey their master, servants ought to obey their lord, and disciples also ought to imitate their master.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Ye call me MasterTeacher.
and Lordlearningof Him in the one capacity, obeying Him in the other.
and ye say well, for so IamThe conscious dignity with which this claim is made isremarkable, following immediately on His laying aside the towel ofservice. Yet what is this whole history but a succession of suchastonishing contrast from first to last?
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ye call me Master and Lord,…. , and , “Master” and “Lord”, were dignified titles among the Jews, which they frequently y gave to their doctors and men of learning, and are often to be met with in their writings: hence the disciples called Christ by these names, not out of flattery, but reverence of him, and esteem for him; nor are they blamed, but commended for it:
and ye say well, for so I am; though he had acted the part of a servant in such a surprising manner, by washing their feet; yet he had not dropped and lost, but still maintains his place and authority as a “Master” to teach and instruct them, and as a “Lord” to rule and govern them.
y Vid. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 3. 1. Derech Erets, c. 6. fol. 18. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ye (). Emphatic.
Call me ( ). “Address me.” regular for addressing one with his title (1:48).
Master (H ). Nominative form (not in apposition with accusative after ), but really vocative in address with the article (called titular nominative sometimes) like H in 20:28. “Teacher.” See 11:28 for Martha’s title for Jesus to Mary.
Lord (H ). Another and separate title. In 1:38 we have (vocative form) for the Jewish and in John 9:36; John 9:38 for the Jewish Mari. It is significant that Jesus approves (, well) the application of both titles to himself as he accepts from Thomas the terms and .
For I am ( ). Jesus distinctly claims here to be both Teacher and Lord in the full sense, at the very moment when he has rendered this menial, but symbolic, service to them. Here is a hint for those who talk lightly about “the peril of worshipping Jesus!”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Master [ ] . Literally, the Teacher. Teacher and Lord were used, according to the Jewish titles Rabbi and Mar, corresponding to which the followers were disciples or servants.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Ye call me Master and Lord:” (humeis phoneite me ho didaskalos kai ho kurios) “You all call me the Teacher and the Lord,” or address me as Master and Lord, respectfully, indicating His approval of it. Perhaps “Rabbi” would have been even a more respectful term than teacher, Mat 23:8-10; Luk 6:46; Eph 6:7.
2) “And ye say well;” (kai kalos legete) “And you speak well,” in an ideal manner, respecting my dignity of person, from the Father, His Son and Emissary, Gal 4:4-5; Heb 1:1-3.
3) “For so I am.” (eimi gar) “For I am or exist,” as such, as your Master and your Lord, even though I came to save and minister to you all, leaving you an example to follow, as my servants, is the idea, Mat 20:24-28.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) Ye call me Master and Lordi.e., Master in the sense of Teacher. The word in the original is not Rabbi. (Comp. Note on Joh. 11:28.) The Jewish pupils called their teachers Rabbi and Mar (Teacher), and it was not permitted to any pupil to call his teacher by his proper name (Sanhedr., fol. 100, 1). The word Master here refers to His position as their Teacher; the word Lord to the reverence which they paid to Him. These were the common titles of everyday life which He here asserts for Himself.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Master and Lord Literally, the Master and the Lord; using the titles as the disciples applied them to him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Ver. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord ] A little before our Saviour came in the flesh, the Jewish doctors had taken up divers titles in this order; Rabbi, Rabban, Rub, Rabba, Gaon, Moreh, Morenu, and Morehtsedeck. These they did arrogantly appropriate to themselves; but Christ was the true owner of them all.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13 17] HIS LOVE AND THE FAITH OF HIS OWN.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
13. ] . and . are titular nominatives, as in reff. (Winer, 29. 1, edn. 6.)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 13:13 . , “ye call me,” in addressing me ( , not ), “Teacher” and “Lord”; the nominativus tituli , see Winer, 226. Perhaps “Rabbi” would convey better the respect involved in . , . Jesus, humble and self-suppressing as He was, clearly recognised His own dignity and on occasion asserted it. Here the point of the lesson lay in His consciousness of being their Lord.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
call Me = address Me as. Greek. phoneo, always used of calling with the voice (phone). Compare Joh 11:28; Joh 12:17; and compare kaleo, Luk 6:46; Luk 15:19.
Master (Greek. didaskalos) = Teacher. See App-98and compare Mat 26:25, Mat 26:49.
Lord. App-98.
ye say well. Would that Christians today would treat Him with the same respect which He here commends, instead of calling Him by the name of His humiliation, Jesus, by which He was never addressed by disciples, only by demons (Mat 8:29. Mar 1:24; Mar 5:6. Luk 8:28) and those who only knew Him as a prophet (Mar 10:47. Luk 18:38). The Holy Spirit uses “Jesus” in the Gospel narratives.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13-17] HIS LOVE AND THE FAITH OF HIS OWN.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 13:13. ) The Nominative for the Vocative, which is extant at Luk 6:46 [ , , ].-, and) They sometimes used to call Him Master, sometimes Lord: and thereby they were professing themselves to be His disciples and servants.- , Lord) Joh 13:6; Joh 13:9; Joh 13:25; Joh 13:36-37; ch. Joh 14:5; Joh 14:8; Joh 14:22.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 13:13
Joh 13:13
Ye call me, Teacher, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.-They all recognized him as their Teacher and Ruler. [Jesus exalts his relationship to them in order that the lesson to be drawn from his act of humility may be the stronger.]
The word Lord has a distinct meaning, and in reading the word of God that meaning should be kept in mind. You call me your Ruler and Teacher. And ye say well [or rightly]; for so I am. He had come from God to teach them. They had left all to follow him, as his servants and pupils. He impresses the relationship and his superiority upon them, for, without feeling this, they could not understand the lesson he was teaching them.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
call: Joh 11:28, Mat 7:21, Mat 7:22, Mat 23:8-10, Luk 6:46, Rom 14:8, Rom 14:9, 1Co 8:6, 1Co 12:3, Phi 2:11, Phi 3:8, 2Pe 1:14-16
and: Jer 1:12, Luk 7:43, Luk 10:28, Jam 2:19
Reciprocal: 2Ki 3:11 – poured water Isa 55:4 – a leader Mal 1:6 – and if Mar 10:43 – whosoever Mar 14:14 – The Master Mar 14:45 – Master Luk 1:43 – my Luk 7:40 – Master Luk 18:18 – Good Joh 8:48 – Say Joh 20:16 – Rabboni Eph 6:9 – knowing 1Th 1:6 – and of
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE CALL TO SERVICE
Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:13
The underlying foundation for every call to a definite step in the Christian life must be the plain teaching of our Lord Himself.
I. If we ask what Christ saves men for, we find it summed up in a sentence thus: That we might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life (Luk 1:74-75). A life of service, fearlessly and happily rendered; with a heart that belongs to Him, and conduct that glorifies Him; lived out in His conscious Presence, and lasting to our last day on earth; that is the purpose He has for His people, that is the aim of His salvation, which must be ours if we would satisfy His heart and fulfil His good will for us.
II. There can be no doubt that the call to service could only be obeyed where the life is surrendered, the will submitted, the heart yielded to the Lord. That the disciples did so obey and follow Christ, shows how they understood His claims upon them; and how His demands took the first place, and all else the second, in their lives. Nor must we put aside the point of the Saviours call, by supposing that He may so call some, but not all, of His professed people. That we all owe Him service is a matter granted without controversy; and that service can only be rendered by obeying this call is equally clear, when we hear Him say: If any man serve Me, let him follow Me (Joh 12:26). The call to follow Him is therefore binding on all His servants, as the call to serve is on all His redeemed people. Thus His demand, Follow Me, lays upon every professed child of God the call to personal consecration.
III. Christs purpose for all whom He has drawn near to Him and pardoned, and His claim upon them, is nothing less than absolute submission to His rule, surrender to His demands, service to His will. The very titles He assumes are enough to settle the matter. He is a King: and He can expect no less than His ancestor and prototype received, when all Israel obeyed him. And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king (1Ch 29:23-24). He is a Lawgiver, and He is a Leader: so then there can be due to Him no less honour than was given by Israel to their lawgiver and their leader when they said: According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee. All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go (Jos 1:17; Jos 1:16). He is a Ruler or Lord with a yoke of dominion, real though easy to be borne; and He is a Teacher, with authority over His scholars and a task to appoint them, though it be light for meek and lowly learners. Then He may well say to us, as to His disciples: Ye call Me Master (Teacher, R.V. marg.) and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them (Joh 13:13; Joh 13:15; Joh 13:17).
Rev. Hubert Brooke.
Illustration
The matter was practically illustrated once by Pasteur Theodore Monod under the following figure: A man is passing out of a hall, and sees some one in front of him drop a piece of paper. He picks it up and discovers that it is a five-pound note. He hesitates a moment as to how he shall deal with it, and then says: I will give that man who dropped it one pound, and I will keep four. But of course his conscience interposes, and tells him that that will not do. Well, he resumes in thought, I will give him four, and only keep one pound. Conscience objects again and insists on more than this. At last, with a sigh, the finder says: Then I will do a grand thing; I will consecrate the whole five pounds to the man who lost it. But any one who had heard his thoughts would say that it was no very grand thing after all, but a mere matter of ordinary honesty, to give the man what was his own. The story fits well enough for the subject we have in view. In truth the matter of personal consecration is reduced to the simple element of honesty. You have found yourself to be the ransomed and purchased possession of the Saviour; what then will you do with this treasure? Be honest, and you can only do one thing: give the possession to Him Who purchased it, and treat it henceforth as His, not yours.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
3
Master is from a word that means teacher, and Lord means a ruler. The apostles had recognized Jesus as having both of these functions over them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
[Master and Lord.] Rabbi; and Mar; are titles amongst the doctors very frequently used, both those of Jerusalem and those of Babylon.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Joh 13:13. Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye my well; for so I am. It was in the full consciousness of the dignity belonging to Him that (Joh 13:3) Jesus had entered upon this scene. It is in a similar consciousness that He now urges its lesson. The word used for Master is Johns Greek rendering for the Hebrew Rabbi (Joh 1:29, Joh 20:16). No special meaning therefore, such as Teacher, is to be given it.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
"Teacher" translates the Hebrew "Rabbi" (Gr. didaskalos) and "Lord," the Aramaic "Mari" (Gr. kyrios). The title "Lord" took on deeper meaning after the Resurrection as Christians began to understand better who Jesus is (cf. Joh 20:28; Act 2:36; Php 2:9-11). Both titles were respectful and acknowledged Jesus’ superiority over His disciples.