Matthew 7:4
in Matthew 7How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?
KJV
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
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This verse in Matthew 7
Commentary
14 notes on this verse(Vers. 3-5.) But why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, and not see the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye? Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. He speaks of those who, while being subject to mortal sin themselves, do not overlook minor sins of their brothers: straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23).
This site's exposition
the speck in your brother’s eye
on Matthew 7:3-4
The speck and the beam set an absurd contrast that exposes the fault-finder straining at another's small failing while blind to his own gross one. The image likely drew on a proverb already current among the rabbis, and Jesus sharpens it into a rebuke of censorious disciples.
This site's exposition
Let me take the speck out of your eye
Augustine reads the beam as hatred, and he says a person must first put it away before he can correct the brother he loves. Adam Clarke draws the wider rule. Anyone walking the way of death is unfit to show others the way of life.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye;" i.e., first cast the hatred away from thee, and then, but not before, shalt thou be able to amend him whom thou lovest. And He well says, "Thou hypocrite." For to make complaint against vices is the duty of good and benevolent men; and when bad men do it, they are acting a part which does not belong to them; just like hypocrites, who conceal under a mask what they are, and show themselves off in a mask what they are not. Under the designation hypocrites, therefore, you are to understand pretenders. And there is, in fact, a class of pretenders much to be guarded against, and troublesome, who, while they take up complaints against all kinds of faults from hatred and spite, also wish to appear counsellors. And therefore we must piously and cautiously watch, so that when necessity shall compel us to find fault with or rebuke any one, we may reflect first whether the fault is such as we have never had, or one from which we have now become free; and if we have never had it, let us reflect that we are men, and might have had it; but if we have had it, and are now free from it, let the common infirmity touch the memory, that not hatred but pity may go before that fault-finding or administering of rebuke: so that whether it shall serve for the conversion of him on whose account we do it, or for his perversion (for the issue is uncertain), we at least from the singleness of our eye may be free from care. […]
He speaks of such as though themselves guilty of mortal sin, do not forgive a trivial fault in their brother.
"Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye?" Yea, for many now do this; if they see but a monk wearing an unnecessary garment, they produce against him the law of our Lord, while they themselves are extorting without end, and defrauding men every day. If they see him but partaking rather largely of food, they become bitter accusers, while they themselves are daily drinking to excess and surfeiting: not knowing, that besides their own sins, they do hereby gather up for themselves a greater flame, and deprive themselves of every plea. For on this point, that thine own doings must be strictly inquired into, thou thyself hast first made the law, by thus sentencing those of thy neighbor. Account it not then to be a grievous thing, if thou art also thyself to undergo the same kind of trial.
That is, with what face can you charge your brother with sin, when yourself are living in the same or a yet greater sin?
The Medieval Church1 voice
He who would rebuke others ought to be blameless himself. If he himself has a plank in his eye, that is, some great sin, and he finds fault with another who has only a speck, he causes that man to be even more shameless in …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
How, therefore, i.e., with what sincerity can you say: Let me take the speck out of your eye. You ought to blush. Chrysostom: "With what effort does a man love another more than himself?" For you correct him with the idea of correcting, you should …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They were severe upon Christ's disciples for eating with unwashen hands, which was scarcely a mote, while they encouraged men in a contempt of their parents, which was a beam. Pride and uncharitableness are commonly beams in the eyes of those that pretend to be critical and nice in their censures of others.
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother?....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The first portion of these verses is one of those passages of Scripture which we must be careful not to strain beyond its proper meaning. It is frequently abused and misapplied by the enemies of true religion. It is possible to press the words of the Bible so far that they yield not medicine, but poison. When our Lord says, “Judge not”he does not mean that it is wrong, under any circumstances, to pass an unfavorable judgment on the conduct and opinions of others.
The first portion of these verses is one of those passages of Scripture which we must be careful not to strain beyond its proper meaning. It is frequently abused and misapplied by the enemies of true religion. It is possible to press the words of the Bible so far that they yield not medicine, but poison. When our Lord says, “Judge not”he does not mean that it is wrong, under any circumstances, to pass an unfavorable judgment on the conduct and opinions of others. We ought to have decided opinions: we are to “prove all things,” we are to “try the spirits” (1 Thess.5:21 1 John 4:1 ). Nor yet does he mean that it is wrong to reprove the sins and faults of others until we are perfect and faultless ourselves. Such an interpretation would contradict other parts of Scripture. It would make it impossible to condemn error and false doctrine; it would debar anyone from attempting the office of a minister or a judge. The earth would be given “into the hands of the wicked” ( Job 9:24 ). Heresy would flourish; wrong-doing would abound. What our Lord means to condemn is a censorious and fault-finding spirit. A readiness to blame others for trifling offenses or matters of indifference, a habit of passing rash and hasty judgments, a disposition to magnify the errors and infirmities of our neighbors and make the worst of them—this is what our Lord forbids. It was common among the Pharisees. It has always been common from their day down to the present time. We must watch against it. We should “believe all things” and “hope all things” about others, and be very slow to find fault. This is Christian charity ( I Corinthians 13:7 .) The second portion of these verses teaches us the importance of exercising discretion as to the persons with whom we speak on the subject of religion. Everything is beautiful in its place and season.
Or how wilt thou say - That man is utterly unfit to show the way of life to others who is himself walking in the way of death.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἢ | e | Or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| πῶς | pos | how | G4459 → | 103 times |
| ἐρεῖς | ereis | will you say | G4483 → | 46 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφῷ | adelpho | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| σου· | sou | of you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἄφες | aphes | do permit that | G863 → | 143 times |
| ἐκβάλω | ekbalo | I may cast out | G1544 → | 79 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κάρφος | karphos | splinter | G2595 → | 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 |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δοκὸς | dokos | beam | G1385 → | 6 times |
| ἐν | en | [is] in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμῷ | ophthalmo | eye | G3788 → | 100 times |
| σοῦ; | sou | of you? | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ἢOr
eG2228 →342 times
πῶςhow
posG4459 →103 times
ἐρεῖςwill you say
ereisG4483 →46 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφῷbrother
adelphoG80 →343 times
σου·of you;
souG4771 →2973 times
ἄφεςdo permit that
aphesG863 →143 times
ἐκβάλωI may cast out
ekbaloG1544 →79 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
κάρφοςsplinter
karphosG2595 →6 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμοῦeye
ophthalmouG3788 →100 times
σου·of you;
souG4771 →2973 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
δοκὸςbeam
dokosG1385 →6 times
ἐν[is] in
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμῷeye
ophthalmoG3788 →100 times
σοῦ;of you?
souG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
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About Matthew
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Sermon on the Mount; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.19.64-65; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.