Matthew 7:5

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.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Thou hypocrite	ὑποκριτά, hupokrita	G5273	an actor under an assumed character (stage-player) · noun — vocative singular masculine
first	πρῶτον prōton	G4412	firstly (in time
cast out	ἔκβαλε ekbale	G1544	to eject (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
the beam	δοκόν, dokon	G1385	a stick of timber · noun — accusative singular feminine
out	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
of	ὀφθαλμοῦ ophthalmou	G3788	the eye (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular masculine
thine own	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
eye	ὀφθαλμοῦ ophthalmou	G3788	the eye (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
then	τότε tote	G5119	the when · adverb
shalt thou see clearly	διαβλέψεις diablepseis	G1227	to look through · verb — future active indicative, 2nd person singular
to cast out	ἐκβαλεῖν ekbalein	G1544	to eject (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active infinitive
the mote	κάρφος karphos	G2595	a dry twig or straw · noun — accusative singular neuter
out	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
of	ὀφθαλμός ophthalmós	G3788	the eye (literally or figuratively)
thy	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
brother’s	ἀδελφοῦ adelphou	G80	a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — genitive singular masculine
eye	ὀφθαλμός ophthalmós	G3788	the eye (literally or figuratively)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Luke 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam t…
Psalms 51:9-13 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Matthew 23:13-28 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neit…
Luke 13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and le…
Luke 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also…
Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:1-6

Our Saviour is here directing us how to conduct ourselves in reference to the faults of others; and his expressions seem intended as a reproof to the scribes and Pharisees, who were very rigid and severe, very magisterial and supercilious, in condemning all about them, as those commonly are, that are proud and conceited in justifying themselves. We have here, I. A caution against judging Mat 7:1, Mat 7:2. There are those whose office it is to judge - magistrates and ministers. Christ, though he made not himself a Judge, yet came not to unmake them, for by him princes decree justice; but this is directed to private persons, to his disciples, who shall hereafter sit on thrones judging, but not…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:5

Thou hypocrite--"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--Our Lord uses a most hyperbolical, but not unfamiliar figure, to express the monstrous inconsistency of this conduct. The "hypocrisy" which, not without indignation, He charges it with, consists in the pretense of a zealous and compassionate charity, which cannot possibly be real in one who suffers worse faults to lie uncorrected in himself. He only is fit to be a reprover of others who jealously and severely judges himself. Such persons will not only be slow to undertake the office of censor on their neighbors, but, when constrained in f…

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John Gill on Matthew 7:5

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye,.... Very rightly does our Lord call such a man an hypocrite, who is very free in remarking and reproving other men's sins, and covering his own; and indeed, one end of his critical observations, rigid censures, and rash judgments is, that he might be thought to be holier than he is. Christ very manifestly points at the Scribes and Pharisees, who were men of such a complexion; and whom he often, without any breach of charity, calls hypocrites. The meaning of this proverbial expression is, that a man should first begin with himself, take notice of his own sins, reprove himself for them, and reform; and then it will be soon enough to…

The Church Fathers

Macarius said also, 'If you are stirred to anger when you want to reprove someone, you are gratifying your own passions. Do not lose yourself in order to save another.'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Otherwise; How sayest thou to thy brother; that is, with what purpose? From charity, that you may save your neighbour? Surely not, for you would first save yourself. You desire therefore not to heal others, but by good doctrine to cover bad life, and to gain praise of learning from men, not the reward of edifying from God, and you are a hypocrite; as it follows, Thou hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thine own eye.
— Pseudo-Chrysostom ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Rarely, therefore, and in a case of great necessity, are rebukes to be administered; yet in such a way that even in these very rebukes we may make it our earnest endeavour, not that we, but that God, should be served. For He, and none else, is the end: so that we are to do nothing with a double heart, removing from our own eye the beam of envy, or malice, or pretence, in order that we may see to cast the mote out of a brother's eye. For we shall see it with the dove's eyes—such eyes as are declared to belong to the spouse of Christ, whom God hath chosen for Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, i.e. pure and guileless.
— Augustine of Hippo, SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.19.66

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Beam — Occurs in the Authorized Version as the rendering of various Hebrew words. In 1 Sam. 17:7, it means a weaver’s frame or principal beam; in Hab. 2:11, a crossbeam or girder; 2 Kings 6:2, 5, a…
Mote — (Gr. karphos, something dry, hence a particle of wood or chaff, etc.). A slight moral defect is likened to a mote (Matt. 7:3-5; Luke 6:41, 42).
Charitableness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Commandments · DISCOURSE — DISCOURSE
Hypocrisy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Hypocrites · Described as: Censorious — Described as: Censorious
Inconsistency · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Mote (A Speck) · A small particle — A small particle
Religion · TRUE — TRUE
Reproof · Hypocrites not qualified to give — Hypocrites not qualified to give
Uncharitableness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Matthew 7:5

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:5

John Gill on Matthew 7:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 7:5

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 7:5

John Gill on Matthew 7:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 7:1-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 7:3-5