Master [nave]
MASTERJesus called, Matt. 8:19; 10:25; 23:8; 26:18, 25, 49; Mark 14:45; Luke 8:24; John 13:13, 14.
Jesus prohibited the appellation, Matt. 23:8.
Scriptures Relating to Masters of Servants
Ex. 21:20, 21, 26, 27; Lev. 19:13; Lev. 25:43; Deut. 5:14; Deut. 24:14, 15 Lev. 19:13. Job 31:13-15; Prov. 22:16; Prov. 29:12, 21; Jer. 22:13; Mal. 3:5; Rom. 4:4; Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1; 1 Tim. 5:18; Philem. 10-16; Jas. 5:4 See: Employer; Servant.
Good
Instances of:
Abraham, Gen. 18:19; Job, Job 31:13-15; the centurion, Luke 7:2.
Unjust
Instances of:
Sarah to Hagar, Gen. 16:6.
Laban to Jacob, Gen. 31:7; Potiphar's wife to Joseph, Gen. 39:7-20.
MASTER [isbe]
MASTER - mas'-ter ('adhon, ba`al, rabbi; despotes, didaskalos, kurios, rhabbi): "Master," when the translation of 'adhon, "ruler," "lord" (Sir), often translated "lord," denotes generally the owner or master of a servant or slave (Gen 24:9, etc.; 39:2, etc.; Ex 21:4, etc.; Dt 23:15 bis; 2 Sam 9:9,10 twice; Prov 30:10); elsewhere it is rather "lord" or "ruler" (often king, e.g. 1 Sam 24:6,8; 26:16); in the plural 'adhonim, it is, as the rule, used only of God (but see Gen 19:2,18; Dt 10:17; Ps 136:3, "Lord of lords"; Isa 26:13, "other lords"; 19:4 (Hebrew "lords"); 24:2). Ba`al, "lord," "owner," is translated "master": "the master of the house" (Ex 22:8; Jdg 19:22,23); "the ass his master's crib" (Isa 1:3). We have it also translated "masters of assemblies" (Eccl 12:11). See ASSEMBLIES, MASTERS OF. Compare Ecclesiasticus 32:1, "master (of a feast)," the Revised Version (British and American) "ruler"; Jn 2:9, "ruler of the feast"; [rabh] (Dan 1:3; Jon 1:6, "shipmaster"); rabh, Aramaic, "great," "mighty," "elder" (Dan 4:9; 5:11," master of the magicians"); also [sar], "head" or "chief" (Ex 1:11, "taskmasters"; 1 Ch 15:27, "master of the song," the Revised Version margin "the carrying of the ark, Hebrew the lifting up"); `ur, "to call," "to awake," is also rendered "master" in the King James Version, "The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar," margin "him that waketh and him that answereth," the Revised Version (British and American) as the King James Version margin (Mal 2:12).The verb "to master" does not occur in the Old Testament, but we have in Apocrypha (The Wisdom of Solomon 12:18) "mastering thy power" (despozon ischuos), the Revised Version (British and American) "being sovereign over (thy) strengh."
In the New Testament despotes answers to 'adhon as "master" (1 Tim 6:1,2; 2 Tim 2:21), rendered also "Lord" (Lk 2:29,etc.); kurios, is "Master," "Lord," "Sir," used very frequently of God or of Christ (Mt 1:20,22,24), translated "Master" (Mt 6:24; 15:27; the King James Version Mk 13:35; Rom 14:4, etc.); kathegetes, a "leader," is translated "Master" (Mt 23:8 (the King James Version),10); didaskalos, a title very often applied to our Lord in the Gospels, is "Teacher," translated "Master" in the King James Version Mt 8:19; 9:11; Mk 4:38; Lk 3:12, etc.; the Revised Version (British and American) "Teacher"; also Jn 3:2,10; Jas 3:1, "be not many masters," the Revised Version (British and American) "teachers"; rhabbi, rhabbei ("Rabbi") (a transliterated Hebrew term signifying "my Teacher") is also in several instances applied to Jesus, the King James Version "Master" (Mt 26:25,49; Mk 9:5; 11:21; Jn 9:2 (the Revised Version (British and American) leaves untranslated) Mk 10:51, "Rabboni," the King James Version "Lord"; Jn 20:16 ("Rabbouni"), the Revised Version (British and American) "Rabboni," which see).
For "master" the Revised Version (British and American) has "lord" (1 Sam 26:16; 29:4,10; Am 4:1; Mk 13:35; Rom 14:4); "master" for "lord" (Gen 39:16; 2 Pet 2:1; Rev 6:10); for "good man of the house" (Mt 24:43; Lk 12:39), "master of the house"; in Eph 6:5, the Revised Version margin gives "Gr lords" (in 6:9, "their Master and yours" is also Greek kurios); instead of "the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:4), the Revised Version (British and American) reads "our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ," margin "the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ"; for "overcame them" (Acts 19:16), "mastered both of them."
W. L. Walker
MASTER [bridgeway]
Throughout the countries of the region of the Bible story, many households were very large and included slaves and hired workers. The head of the household was commonly referred to as the master, and he exercised considerable authority (Gen 14:14; 24:2,9; 1 Sam 25:14,17).In recognition of the dangers that accompanied such authority, Israelite law laid down that a master did not have the right to treat his servants as he wished. He had to recognize their rights, and be fair and honest in all his dealings with them (Exod 21:8-11,20,26-27; see SLAVE).
The New Testament further emphasizes the responsibility of masters towards their servants. Christian masters in particular are to be careful the way they treat their servants, because they themselves are answerable to a master, Jesus the Lord (Eph 6:9; Col 4:1; see WORK).
All Christians are servants of this divine Master and must give him their total allegiance (Matt 6:24; see JESUS CHRIST, sub-heading ‘Jesus as Lord’). One day their Master will assess their faithfulness in service and reward them accordingly (Matt 25:14-30; Mark 13:33-37; Rom 14:4; 1 Cor 4:1-5; see also STEWARD).
