Does "Rabbi" Really mean teacher?

The word Rabbi comes from two Hebrew words "Rav" and "I" (V's and B's are interchangable in Hebrew).  "Rav" means "master", specifically it was the term a slave used to address his master.  "I" simply means "my".  Therefore the literal meaning of "Rabbi" is "my master".  But like other words, meanings change as things become titles, and by the time of Jesus the term "Rabbi" was a title given to those who were respected as teachers of the law.  But the original meaning of the word was not lost to the Jews around Jesus.  The reverence and submission demanded by the "my master" was still heavily present. 

This brings a new light to Matthew 23:5-7 where Jesus says,

"everything they do is done for men to see... they love to be greeted in the marketplace and have men call them rabbi.  But you are not to be called Rabbi for you have only one master and you are all brothers." 

In other words, Jesus is changing the standard for religious leaders.  They will serve each other, not expect others to serve them.

Created 8 months ago