Luke 6:42
in Luke 6How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
KJV
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
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This verse in Luke 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verseBut these words are applicable to all, and especially to teachers, who while they punish the least sins of those who are put under them, leave their own unpunished. Wherefore the Lord calls them hypocrites, because to this end judge they the sins of others, that they themselves might seem just. Hence it follows, Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye, &c.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
As if He said, How can he who is guilty of grievous sins, (which He calls the beam,) condemn him who has sinned only slightly, or even in some cases not at all? For this the mote signifies. That is to say, first show thyself clean from great sins, and then afterwards shalt thou give counsel to thy neighbour, who is guilty only of slight sins.
He had previously shown us that judging others is utterly wicked and dangerous. It causes final condemnation. "Do not judge," he said, "and you shall not be judged." Do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned. By conclusive arguments, he persuades us to avoid the very wish of judging others. Deliver yourself first from your great crimes and your rebellious passions, and then you may set him right who is guilty of only minor offenses.
The Medieval Church3 voices
And how can you say to your brother: Brother, let me cast out the speck from your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye? You do this with your brother if (for example), what he sins by anger, you …
Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. That is, first expel hatred from yourself, and then you will be able to correct the one whom you love. …
Now this has reference to the previous parable, in which He forewarned them that the blind cannot be led by the blind, that is, the sinner corrected by the sinner. Hence it is said, Or, how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, if thou seest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he shows that such a one is indiscreet in speech, because he does not speak reasonably; on account of which he adds: Or how can you say to your brother, namely, by addressing him outwardly: Brother, let me cast out the speck from your …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Christ justifies his disciples in a work of necessity for themselves on that day, and that was plucking the ears of corn, when they were hungry on that day. This story here has a date, which we had not in the other evangelists; it was on the second sabbath after the first (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Either how canst thou say to thy brother,....
Those with a very ill grace censure the faults of others who are not aware of their own faults. It is very absurd for any to pretend to be so quick-sighted as to spy small faults in others, like a mote in the eye, when they are themselves so perfectly past feeling as not to perceive a beam in their own eye.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We learn, in the first place, from these verses — the great danger of listening to false religious teachers. Our Lord compares such teachers and their hearers to the blind leading the blind, and asks the reasonable question, "Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" He goes on to confirm the importance of His warning by declaring, that "the disciple is not above his master," and the student cannot be expected to know more than his teacher. If a man will hear unsound instruction — then we cannot expect him to become otherwise than unsound in the faith himself.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We learn, in the first place, from these verses — the great danger of listening to false religious teachers. Our Lord compares such teachers and their hearers to the blind leading the blind, and asks the reasonable question, "Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" He goes on to confirm the importance of His warning by declaring, that "the disciple is not above his master," and the student cannot be expected to know more than his teacher. If a man will hear unsound instruction — then we cannot expect him to become otherwise than unsound in the faith himself. The subject which our Lord brings before us here, deserves far more attention than it generally receives. The amount of evil which unsound religious teaching has brought on the Church in every age, is incalculable. The loss of souls which it has occasioned, is fearful to contemplate. A teacher who does not know the way to Heaven himself — is not likely to lead his hearers to Heaven. The man who hears such a teacher, runs a fearful risk himself of being lost eternally. "If the blind lead the blind — then both must fall into the ditch!" If we would escape the danger against which our Lord warns us — then we must not neglect to test the teaching that we hear by the holy Scriptures. We must not believe things — merely because ministers say them. We must not suppose, as a matter of course — that ministers can make no mistakes. We must call to mind our Lord's words on another occasion, "Beware of false prophets!" (Matthew 7:15.) We must remember the advice of Paul and John — "Prove all things." "Try the spirits — whether they are of God." (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1.) With the Bible in our hands, and the promise of guidance from the Holy Spirit to all who seek it — we shall be without excuse if our souls are led astray.
The words behind it
47 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πῶς | pos | How | G4459 → | 103 times |
| δύνασαι | dunasai | are you able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| λέγειν | legein | to say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφῷ | adelpho | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| σου· | sou | of you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἀδελφέ, | adelphe | Brother, | G80 → | 343 times |
| ἄφες | aphes | do allow [me] | G863 → | 143 times |
| ἐκβάλω | ekbalo | I may cast out | G1544 → | 79 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κάρφος | karphos | splinter | G2595 → | 6 times |
| τὸ | to | that [is] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμῷ | ophthalmo | eye | G3788 → | 100 times |
| σου, | sou | of you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| αὐτὸς | autos | yourself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμῷ | ophthalmo | eye | G3788 → | 100 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| δοκὸν | dokon | beam | G1385 → | 6 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| βλέπων; | blepon | seeing? | G991 → | 132 times |
| ὑποκριτά, | hupokrita | Hypocrite, | G5273 → | 17 times |
| ἔκβαλε | ekbale | do cast out | G1544 → | 79 times |
| πρῶτον | proton | first | G4413 → | 152 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δοκὸν | dokon | beam | G1385 → | 6 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμοῦ | ophthalmou | eye | G3788 → | 100 times |
| σου, | sou | of you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τότε | tote | then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| διαβλέψεις | diablepseis | you will see clearly | G1227 → | |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κάρφος | karphos | splinter | G2595 → | 6 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμῷ | ophthalmo | eye | G3788 → | 100 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφοῦ | adelphou | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐκβαλεῖν. | ekbalein | to cast out. | G1544 → | 79 times |
πῶςHow
posG4459 →103 times
δύνασαιare you able
dunasaiG1410 →207 times
λέγεινto say
legeinG3004 →1325 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφῷbrother
adelphoG80 →343 times
σου·of you;
souG4771 →2973 times
ἀδελφέ,Brother,
adelpheG80 →343 times
ἄφεςdo allow [me]
aphesG863 →143 times
ἐκβάλωI may cast out
ekbaloG1544 →79 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
κάρφοςsplinter
karphosG2595 →6 times
τὸthat [is]
toG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμῷeye
ophthalmoG3788 →100 times
σου,of you,
souG4771 →2973 times
αὐτὸςyourself
autosG846 →5565 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμῷeye
ophthalmoG3788 →100 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
δοκὸνbeam
dokonG1385 →6 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
βλέπων;seeing?
bleponG991 →132 times
ὑποκριτά,Hypocrite,
hupokritaG5273 →17 times
ἔκβαλεdo cast out
ekbaleG1544 →79 times
πρῶτονfirst
protonG4413 →152 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
δοκὸνbeam
dokonG1385 →6 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμοῦeye
ophthalmouG3788 →100 times
σου,of you,
souG4771 →2973 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τότεthen
toteG5119 →160 times
διαβλέψειςyou will see clearly
diablepseisG1227 →
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
κάρφοςsplinter
karphosG2595 →6 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμῷeye
ophthalmoG3788 →100 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφοῦbrother
adelphouG80 →343 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἐκβαλεῖν.to cast out.
ekbaleinG1544 →79 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 18:17The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.
- Acts 24:12–13
Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.
- 2 Samuel 19:24–27
Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the…
- Acts 24:5–6
We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- 2 Samuel 16:1–3
When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a…
- Proverbs 18:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 6; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 33; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.
