A title of respect meaning "my great one" or "my superior one." Jewish people used this title for their religious teachers in Jesus's time.
According to Matthew 23:7, "rabbi" was used as a title to address the Jewish scribes and Pharisees. However, in the New Testament, it is most commonly used as a title of respectful address when others were speaking to Jesus. In many stories in the Gospels, people called Jesus "Rabbi." For example:
Mary Magdalene and blind Bartimaeus both use the longer form, "rabboni," to address Jesus directly (Mark 10:51; John 20:16). This shows even more profound respect than the use of the shorter title "rabbi." By the time John’s Gospel was written, the title "rabbi" meant "teacher." John explicitly states this in 1:38 and implies it in 3:2.
Jesus condemns the scribes and the Pharisees for the pride they took in the title, insisting people call them "rabbi" in public places (Matthew 23:7–8). Jesus prohibited the use of the title for his own disciples, saying, "You are not to be called rabbi." Jesus did not prohibit the legitimate possession of the title but rejected pridefully seeking the honor associated with it. When people did use the title of Jesus in a reverent way, they were not rebuked.