Matthew 7:3
New International Version
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

New Living Translation
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

English Standard Version
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Berean Standard Bible
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

Berean Literal Bible
And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, but not notice the beam in your own eye?

King James Bible
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

New King James Version
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

New American Standard Bible
Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

NASB 1995
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

NASB 1977
“And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Legacy Standard Bible
And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Amplified Bible
Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye?

Christian Standard Bible
Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?

American Standard Version
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Why do you notice a chip that is in your brother's eye, and you do not observe the plank that is in your own eye?

Contemporary English Version
You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Any why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?

English Revised Version
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer's eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye?

Good News Translation
Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye?

International Standard Version
"Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

Literal Standard Version
And why do you behold the speck that [is] in your brother’s eye, and do not consider the beam that [is] in your own eye?

Majority Standard Bible
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

New American Bible
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

NET Bible
Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?

New Revised Standard Version
Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?

New Heart English Bible
And why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Webster's Bible Translation
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thy own eye?

Weymouth New Testament
And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?

World English Bible
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?

Young's Literal Translation
And why dost thou behold the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and the beam that is in thine own eye dost not consider?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Judge
2For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 4How 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?…

Cross References
Matthew 7:4
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?

Matthew 7:5
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.

Luke 6:41
Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

Luke 6:42
How 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.

Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.


Treasury of Scripture

And why behold you the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?

why.

Luke 6:41,42
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? …

Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

but.

2 Samuel 12:5,6
And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: …

2 Chronicles 28:9,10
But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven…

Psalm 50:16-21
But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? …

Jump to Previous
Attention Beam Beholdest Bit Brother's Consider Considerest Dust Eye Grain Log Mote Note Notice Pay Plank Sawdust Speck Splinter Wood
Jump to Next
Attention Beam Beholdest Bit Brother's Consider Considerest Dust Eye Grain Log Mote Note Notice Pay Plank Sawdust Speck Splinter Wood
Matthew 7
1. Do Not Judge
7. Ask, Seek, Knock
13. Enter through the Narrow Gate
15. A Tree and Its Fruit
24. The Wise and the Foolish Builders
28. Jesus ends his sermon, and the people are astonished.














(3) Why beholdest thou the mote . . .?--The Greek noun so translated means a "stalk" or "twig" rather than one of the fine particles of dust floating in the sun to which we attach the word "mote." The illustration seems to have been a familiar one among the Jews, and a proverb all but verbally identical is found as a saying of Rabbi Tarphon. Like illustrations have been found in the proverbs and satires of every country, all teaching that men are keen-sighted as to the faults of others, blind as to their own. The Gracchi complain of sedition, and Clodius accuses others of adultery. We all need the wish--

"Oh, wad some Power the giftie gie us,

To see oursels as others see us!"

But considerest.--There is the same contrast as between "seeing" and "considering" in Matthew 6:26; Matthew 6:28. Our own faults require the careful scrutiny which we never give them: the faults of others we should be content to glance at.

Verses 3-5. - The heinousness of censoriousness as a hindrance to one's self and to one's work for others. Verse 3. - Parallel passage:Luke 6:41. And why - when it is so contrary to common sense - beholdest thou the mote, etc.? A Jewish proverbial saying, e.g. Talm. Bab., 'Bab. Bathra,' 15b, Rabbi Jochanan ( third century A.D.),expounding Ruth 1:1, says, "A generation which when under judgment (שנשפט) judgeth its judges. When one saith to a man, Cast out the mote out of thine eyes, he saith (in answer), Cast out the beam out of thine eyes." In Talm. Bab., 'Erach.,' 16b, "Out of thy teeth" seems to be the right reading. In these verses the "eye" is usually taken as belonging solely to the illustration, and as not itself representing any one object. It may be so, but it has been used so recently (Matthew 6:22) of the spiritual sense that it is more natural to take it so here. In this case the thought of the passage is of faults existing in a man's spiritual sense hindering his spiritual vision. The censorious man sees any fault, however small, readily enough in others, but does not see the much greater fault which he himself as a matter of fact has - his own censoriousness. This censoriousness is not a slight, but a great hindrance to his own spiritual vision, much more to his being of use in removing hindrances from the eye of another. The mote; τὸ κάρδος; Latt. festucam; any small vegetable body. The English word is from the Anglo-Saxon mot, "a small particle" (cf. further Luke 6:41, note). Observe that our Lord allows that there is something wrong with the brother's spiritual vision, just as he allows that the unmerciful servant had a real debt owing to him. That is in thy brother's eye (Matthew 5:22, note). Our Lord is here speaking of the relation of believers to fellow-believers. He tacitly contrasts the censoriousness of the Pharisees towards fellow-Jews (John 7:49). But considerest not (οὐ κατανοεῖς). With any attention of mind; contrast Romans 4:19 (Abraham gave earnest consideration to his own age, and yet believed). The beam. So huge a piece of wood is there in thine own eye. That is in thine own eye. The order of the Greek lays still more emphasis on the fact that, though in thy very own eye there is a beam, thou payest no regard to that (cf. ver. 5, note).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Why
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

do you look at
βλέπεις (blepeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

speck
κάρφος (karphos)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2595: A dry stalk, chip of wood, twig, splinter, chaff. From karpho; a dry twig or straw.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

brother’s
ἀδελφοῦ (adelphou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

eye,
ὀφθαλμῷ (ophthalmō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3788: The eye; fig: the mind's eye. From optanomai; the eye; by implication, vision; figuratively, envy.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

fail
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

to notice
κατανοεῖς (katanoeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2657: To take note of, perceive, consider carefully, discern, detect, make account of. From kata and noieo; to observe fully.

[the] beam
δοκὸν (dokon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1385: A beam or spar of timber. From dechomai; a stick of timber.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

your [own]
σῷ (sō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4674: Yours, thy, thine. From su; thine.

eye?
ὀφθαλμῷ (ophthalmō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3788: The eye; fig: the mind's eye. From optanomai; the eye; by implication, vision; figuratively, envy.


Links
Matthew 7:3 NIV
Matthew 7:3 NLT
Matthew 7:3 ESV
Matthew 7:3 NASB
Matthew 7:3 KJV

Matthew 7:3 BibleApps.com
Matthew 7:3 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 7:3 Chinese Bible
Matthew 7:3 French Bible
Matthew 7:3 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 7:3 Why do you see the speck that (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 7:2
Top of Page
Top of Page