1Do not condemn, so that you are not condemned. [7:2] For in whatever verdict you deliver, it will be delivered against you — and in whatever measure you measure out, it will be measured back to you. [7:3] And why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but do not notice the beam in your own eye? [7:4] Or how will you say to your brother: Let me take the speck out of your eye — and look, the beam is in your own eye? [7:5] Actor! 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. [7:6] Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs — lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.
MAT 7:1-6
Judging Others
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, judgment carried significant social and moral weight. Within Jewish communities, judgment often reflected adherence to Torah purity codes and communal ethics, while in Greco-Roman society, it was tied to honor-shame dynamics and public reputation. Jesus’ warning against judgment would resonate with listeners familiar with the reciprocal nature of social censure—what one condemns in others could easily be turned back on them. The imagery of a (splinter) and (beam) exaggerates the hypocrisy of focusing on minor faults in others while ignoring glaring flaws in oneself. This metaphor would evoke laughter and self-reflection, as it humorously contrasts the trivial with the absurd. The term (hypocrite) originally referred to actors, suggesting someone who wears a mask or plays a role. In this context, it critiques those who perform moral superiority while neglecting their own failings. The call to self-examination before correcting others aligns with Jewish ethical teachings and Stoic self-discipline, emphasizing integrity over outward appearances.
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How other translations render this
MAT 7:1
- KJV
- Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- BSB
- “Do not judge, or you will be judged.
- Koinōnos
- Do not condemn, so that you are not condemned.
MAT 7:2
- KJV
- For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
- BSB
- For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
- Koinōnos
- For in whatever verdict you deliver, it will be delivered against you — and in whatever measure you measure out, it will be measured back to you.
MAT 7:3
- KJV
- And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
- BSB
- Why do you look at the speck in your brotherʼs eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
- Koinōnos
- And why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but do not notice the beam in your own eye?
MAT 7:4
- 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?
- BSB
- How 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?
- Koinōnos
- Or how will you say to your brother: Let me take the speck out of your eye — and look, the beam is in your own eye?
MAT 7:5
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brotherʼs eye.
- Koinōnos
- Actor! 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.
MAT 7:6
- KJV
- Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
- BSB
- Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
- Koinōnos
- Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs — lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you apart.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, WarsWars 2.8.9
›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.8.9
“But in the judgments they exercise they are most accurate and just, nor do they pass sentence by the votes of a court that is fewer than a hundred.”
Cited to ground: Within Jewish communities, judgment often reflected adherence to Torah purity codes and communal ethics
Translator's notes
MAT 7:1
- do judge:The word translated 'do judge' here carries the sense of condemning or passing a negative verdict, rather than simply forming an opinion or making a discernment.
MAT 7:3
- splinter:The term used here for 'splinter' refers to a tiny, dry particle, like a speck of dust, straw, or a small chip of wood, emphasizing its insignificance.
- a beam:The word translated 'a beam' refers to a large, structural timber, like a main support beam in a house, highlighting its substantial size and obviousness.
MAT 7:5
- Hypocrite!:The word translated 'Hypocrite!' originally referred to an actor on a stage, someone playing a part and pretending to be something they are not, emphasizing insincerity.