Matthew 7:3

Matthew 7:3 in other versions

• King James Version (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?
• New International Version (NIV)“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?
• English Standard Version (ESV)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?
• New King James Version (NKJV)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Context of Matthew 7:3

1Jesus then said, ‘Do not say to anyone, “You are a bad person.” If you do that, God will say to you, “You are a bad person.” 2God will think about you in the same way that you think about other people. He will use the same rules for you as you use for other people. Perhaps you want to tell your friend about his little mistake. If you want to do that, first remember your own bigger mistakes. 4You are like a person who has a big piece of wood in his eye. But then he says to his friend, “Let me take that little piece of dirt out of your eye for you.” 5Do not be like that person. You think that you are better than your friend. But you are not. First, you must take the big piece of wood out of your own eye. After that, your eyes will see clearly. Then you can take the small piece of dirt out of your friend's eye.

Matthew 7:3 word by word

τί δὲ βλέπεις τὸ κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ δοκὸν οὐ κατανοεῖς;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• beholdest thouβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• the moteκάρφοςkarphos · speckG2595
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• brother’sἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• eyeὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
• considerestκατανοέωkatanoeō · to observeG2657
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the beamδοκόςdokos · plankG1385
• thine ownσόςsos · yourG4674

Cross-references for Matthew 7:3

• Luke 6:41Perhaps you want to tell a friend about his little mistake. If you want to tell him, first remember your own bigger mistakes.
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood there by himself. He prayed like this: “Thank you, God, that I am different from all these other people. They are bad people. They rob other people. They have sex with women who are not their wife. Thank you, God, that I am not like this man who takes taxes on behalf of the government.
• 2 Samuel 12:5When David heard what the rich man had done, he became very angry. He said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, that man deserves to die.
• 2 Chronicles 28:9Oded, a prophet of the Lord, lived there. He went to meet Israel's soldiers when they arrived back in Samaria. He said to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah's people. So he let you have power over them to punish them. But you have killed them in a very cruel way. God in heaven has seen what you have done.
• Psalms 50:16But God says this to the wicked people: ‘It is useless for you to speak about my commands, or about my covenant.
• John 8:7The Pharisees and the teachers of God's Law continued to ask Jesus questions. So he stood up and he said to them, ‘Any person among you who is not guilty of any sin may throw the first stone to kill her.’
• Galatians 6:1My friends, if you see that someone among you is doing a wrong thing, you must warn that person. Those of you who have help from God's Spirit should tell that person how to live in a good way. But you must be patient and respect him. Be very careful yourselves, so that you do not also want to do wrong things.

Commentaries on Matthew 7:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And why beholdest thou the mote - might be translated the splinter: for splinter bears some analogy to beam, but mote does not. I should prefer this word (which has been adopted by some learned men) on the authority of Hesychius, who is a host in such matters; , , Karphos is a thin piece of wood, a splinter. It often happens that the faults which we consider as of the first enormity in others are, to our own iniquities, as a chip is, when compared to a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And why beholdest thou the mote … - A mote signifies any “light substance,” as dry chaff, or fine spires of grass or grain. It probably most usually signified the small “spiculae” or “beards” on a head of barley or wheat. It is thus placed in opposition to the word “beam.” Beam - The word used here signifies a large piece of squared timber. The one is an exceedingly small object, the other a large one. The meaning is, that “we are much more quick and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Jesus encourages his disciples to serve others instead of condemning them. The contrast of a speck (speck of dust, chip of wood) to a log in the eye is an exaggerated image meant to show the huge difference (see Matthew 5:29; 23:23–24; compare Micah 6:6–8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. And why beholdest thou the mote--"splinter," here very well rendered "mote," denoting any small fault. that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?--denoting the much greater fault which we overlook in ourselves.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 7:3

• Charitableness
• Commandments
• Inconsistency
• Mote (a Speck)
• Religion
• Uncharitableness

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Beam
• Descend
• Destruction
• Gather
• Judge
• Measure
• Mote
• None
• Profess

Commentaries on Matthew 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings