And call no man your father is not a prohibition against using the noun of address of one’s biological father; rather the injunction is against using it as an honorific in addressing someone of superior rank. See the New Jerusalem Bible footnote, which points out that in this context father is “another title of honour.” One may then translate “Do not give anyone on earth the honorary title of ‘Father.’ The only one worthy of this title is your Father in heaven.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .