# Matthew 20.25

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 23. He saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">My cup indeed ye shall drink: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give; but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared of my Father.</span> 24. <span class="rl-speech">And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation concerning the two brethren.</span>
>
> **25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.</span>**
>
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister;</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:</span> (Matthew 20:23-27, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 23. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”</span> 24. When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
>
> **25. But Jesus summoned them, and said, <span class="rl-speech">“You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.</span>**
>
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,</span> (Matthew 20:23-27, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 23. And he saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.</span> 24. <span class="rl-speech">And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.</span>
>
> **25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.</span>**
>
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:</span> (Matthew 20:23-27, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 23. And he saith to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but, to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.'</span> 24. And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers,
>
> **25. and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them,**
>
> 26. but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; 27. and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant; (Matthew 20:23-27, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G1492 - oida](/codex/g1492-oida/), *oida*, Strong's G1492
- [G2424 - Iesous](/codex/g2424-iesous/), *Iesous*, Strong's G2424

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Isaiah 14 Reverse Slavery Prophecy Objection Defeater](/codex/isaiah-14-reverse-slavery-prophecy-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)

**Concepts:**

- [Atonement Theory Spread](/codex/atonement-theory-spread/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)
- [Black People Shouldnt Be Christian](/codex/black-people-shouldnt-be-christian/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)
- [Christianity in Africa](/codex/christianity-in-africa/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 20.18-28](/codex/matthew-20-18-28/)
- [Papal Bulls and Slavery](/codex/papal-bulls-and-slavery/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)
- [Slave Bible](/codex/slave-bible/), via [Matthew 20.25-28](/codex/matthew-20-25-28/)

**People:**

- [James the Greater](/codex/james-the-greater/), via [Matthew 20.20-28](/codex/matthew-20-20-28/)

**Passages:**

- [1 Peter 5.3](/codex/1-peter-5-3/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.
