Rabbi — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Title of respect, meaning “my great one” or “my superior one,” used in Jesus’ day for Jewish religious teachers.

According to Matthew 23:7, “rabbi” was evidently used as a common title of address for the Jewish scribes and Pharisees. However, in the NT it is most commonly used as a title of respectful address when others were speaking to Jesus. It was used by Nathanael (Jn 1:49), by Peter and Andrew (v 38), by Nicodemus (3:2), by the disciples as a group (9:2; 11:8), and by a crowd generally (6:25). Mary Magdalene (Mk 10:51) and blind Bartimaeus (Jn 20:16) both use the longer form, “rabboni,” to address Jesus directly, thus indicating even more profound respect than the use of the shorter title “rabbi.” By the time of the writing of John’s Gospel, the title “rabbi” meant “teacher”; John explicitly states this in 1:38 and implicitly says this in 3:2.

Show passage in OET: MAT 23:7

OET-RV MAT 23:7

7 They love being greeted in the marketplaces and addressed as ‘my great one’.

OET-LV MAT 23:7

7 and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to _be _being _called My _great_one by the people.

Show passage in OET: JHN 1:49

OET-RV JHN 1:49

49 Netanel exclaimed, “Great teacher! You are God’s son! You’re the king of Yisrael (Israel)!”

OET-LV JHN 1:49

49 Nathanaaʸl answered to _him:
My _great_one, you are the son of_ the _god, you are king of_ the _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).

Show passage in OET: JHN 1:38

OET-RV JHN 1:38

38 But Yeshua turned and saw them following him, and asked them, “What do you two want?”
¶ And they said to him, “Teacher, where do you live?”

OET-LV JHN 1:38

38 But the Yaʸsous having _been _turned, and having _seen them following, he _is _saying to _them:
What you _all _are _seeking?
And they said to _him:
My _great_one (which is _being _called being _translated:
Teacher):
Where you _are _remaining?

Show passage in OET: JHN 3:2

OET-RV JHN 3:2

2 went to Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) and said, “Teacher, we know that God has sent you as a teacher, because no one could do those kinds of miracles if God wasn’t with him.”

OET-LV JHN 3:2

2 this one came to him by _night, and said to _him:
My _great_one, we _have _known that you _have _come from god as_a_teacher, because/for no _one is _able to _be _doing these the signs, what you are _doing, if the god not may _be with him.

Show passage in OET: JHN 9:2

OET-RV JHN 9:2

2 and his followers asked him, “Honoured teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he himself sinned, or his parents?”

OET-LV JHN 9:2

2 And the apprentices/followers of _him asked him saying:
My _great_one, who sinned, this man or the parents of _him, in _order _that he _may _be _born blind?

Show passage in OET: JHN 11:8

OET-RV JHN 11:8

8 But they double-checked, “Honoured teacher, the Yehudim (Jews) wanted to execute you, so do you really want to go back there again?”

OET-LV JHN 11:8

8 The Disciples are _saying to _him:
My _great_one, the Youdaiōns were _seeking now to _stone you, and you _are _going there again?

Show passage in OET: JHN 6:25

OET-RV JHN 6:25

25 When they found him there across the lake, they queried, “Teacher, how did you get here?”

OET-LV JHN 6:25

25 And having _found him across of _the sea, they _said to _him:
My _great_one, when have _you _become here?

Show passage in OET: MRK 10:51

OET-RV MRK 10:51

51 “Now, what do you want me to do for you?” Yeshua asked.
¶ “My teacher, I’d like to be able to see,” Bar-Timaios replied.

OET-LV MRK 10:51

51 And the Yaʸsous answering to _him said:
What are _you _wanting I _may _do for _you?
And the blind man said to _him:
My _teacher, that I _may _receive _sight.

Show passage in OET: JHN 20:16

OET-RV JHN 20:16

16 Yeshua just answered, “Miryam.”
¶ She spun around and said, “My teacher!” (‘Rabboni’ in Hebrew.)

OET-LV JHN 20:16

16 The Yaʸsous is _saying to _her:
Maria.
that woman Having _been _turned is _saying to _him In _Hebraios:
Rabboni (that is _being _called:
Teacher).

Jump to OET MAT 23:7 section.

Jump to OET JHN 1:49 section.

Jump to OET JHN 1:38 section.

Jump to OET JHN 3:2 section.

Jump to OET JHN 9:2 section.

Jump to OET JHN 11:8 section.

Jump to OET JHN 6:25 section.

Jump to OET MRK 10:51 section.

Jump to OET JHN 20:16 section.

Jesus condemns the scribes and the Pharisees for their evident pride displayed in their love of being greeted in the marketplaces and their insistence on having people call them “rabbi” (Mt 23:7-8). Jesus prohibited the use of the title for his own disciples, saying, “You are not to be called rabbi.” However, Jesus’ prohibition was more against seeking to be called this and insisting on it than the legitimate possession of the title itself. In fact, when people did use the title of Jesus in a reverent way, they were not in any way rebuked.