Historic pastoral reading
Do not condemn others by a standard you refuse to apply to yourself. After that, you may see clearly enough to help.
Matthew 7:1–5
Do not judge.
The text
WEB
1 Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4 Or how will you tell your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye,” and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
KJV
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 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?
5 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.
What kind of text
- Gospel
- Sermon on the Mount
- Warning against hypocrisy.
Matthew 7 opens a teaching about judgment that immediately explains the standard and calls out hypocrisy.
How Christians have read this
Common misuse
Used to shut down any evaluation of teaching or conduct.
What the next verse does
Verses 2–5 define the warning. Verse 6 then tells the hearers not to give holy things to those who will trample them—so discernment is not abolished.
Older commentary
Matthew Henry
Henry on Matthew 7:1: judge not rashly, and not as those who forget the beam in their own eye. The verses that follow explain the caution.
Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon: Christ does not forbid judging fruit. He forbids the hypocrite's bench. First the beam, then the speck.