Matthew 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?

KJV (with Strong's)

Or {G2228} how {G4459} wilt thou say {G2046} to thy {G4675} brother {G80}, Let {G863} me pull out {G1544} the mote {G2595} out of {G575} thine {G4675} eye {G3788}; and {G2532}, behold {G2400}, a beam {G1385} is in {G1722} thine own {G4675} eye {G3788}?

Complete Jewish Bible

How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the splinter out of your eye,' when you have the log in your own eye?

Berean Standard Bible

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?

American Standard Version

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In Matthew 7:4, Jesus continues His profound discourse on righteous judgment within the Sermon on the Mount, employing a vivid and hyperbolic illustration to expose the absurdity and spiritual danger of hypocrisy. He challenges the one who presumes to correct a minor flaw in another ("mote") while remaining willfully blind to a glaring, self-evident defect in their own character or conduct ("beam"). This verse serves as a potent call for radical self-examination and humility before attempting to offer counsel or critique to others.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is an integral part of Jesus' teaching on judging others, which begins in [Matthew 7:1](/matthew/7-1 "Matthew 7:1 - Do Not Judge") with the direct command, "Judge not, that you be not judged." It immediately follows the principle that "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" [Matthew 7:2](/matthew/7-2 "Matthew 7:2 - The Principle of Reciprocity"). Matthew 7:4, along with [Matthew 7:3](/matthew/7-3 "Matthew 7:3 - The Mote and the Beam Illustration"), forms the core of Jesus' parabolic illustration, setting up the climactic instruction in [Matthew 7:5](/matthew/7-5 "Matthew 7:5 - First Remove the Beam") to first remove the "beam" from one's own eye. This progression emphasizes that true discernment and helpful correction can only flow from a place of personal integrity and humility, not self-righteousness.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jesus' audience, primarily Jewish, would have been familiar with the common rabbinic practice of discerning and correcting others. However, Jesus critiques a perversion of this practice—a judgmental spirit that often accompanied religious piety. The imagery of specks and beams, while hyperbolic, would have been immediately understandable in an agrarian society where wood and debris were common. The "eye" (G3788, _ophthalmós_) was considered the lamp of the body, symbolizing one's spiritual perception and moral clarity, as seen in [Matthew 6:22-23](/matthew/6-22-23 "Matthew 6:22-23 - The Eye as the Lamp of the Body"). Thus, an obstructed eye signifies spiritual blindness and an inability to see oneself or others clearly.
* **Key Themes:** Matthew 7:4 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Sermon on the Mount and the broader Gospel of Matthew. The most prominent theme is **Hypocrisy Unveiled**, as Jesus exposes the absurdity of spiritual pretense, where outward piety masks inner corruption. Closely related is the theme of **Radical Self-Examination**, demanding that disciples look inward and address their own significant moral and spiritual failings before presuming to correct others. This teaching also underscores the theme of **True Righteousness**, which, unlike the superficial righteousness of the Pharisees, originates from a transformed heart and manifests in genuine humility and love, rather than judgmentalism [Matthew 5:20](/matthew/5-20 "Matthew 5:20 - Righteousness Exceeding the Scribes and Pharisees").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **mote (Greek, _kárphos'_):** From G2595, meaning "a dry twig or straw." This word vividly portrays something exceedingly small, a tiny speck, splinter, or piece of chaff. It represents a minor, perhaps even negligible, fault or imperfection in another person, especially when contrasted with the "beam."
* **pull out (Greek, _ekbállō'_):** From G1544, meaning "to eject (literally or figuratively):--bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out)." In this context, it denotes the act of removing something from the eye, implying an intrusive and perhaps painful intervention. The irony is that the one attempting this "extraction" is in no fit state to perform it.
* **beam (Greek, _dokós'_):** From G1385, meaning "a stick of timber." This word refers to a large structural timber, a rafter, or a log. The stark contrast between a "mote" and a "beam" is central to Jesus' hyperbole, highlighting a massive, obvious, and incapacitating flaw in the observer compared to the minor fault they perceive in another.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother,"**: This opening phrase introduces a rhetorical question, immediately challenging the logic and presumption of the judgmental person. Jesus directly addresses the attitude of someone who is quick to offer unsolicited and unhelpful criticism to a fellow believer ("thy brother"). The term "brother" emphasizes the familial bond within the community of faith, making the judgmental attitude even more incongruous.
* **"Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;"**: This clause presents the supposed offer of help—an attempt to remove a minor speck from another's eye. The phrasing "Let me pull out" suggests a self-appointed authority or eagerness to intervene, implying a perception of superior insight or spiritual purity on the part of the one offering help. It highlights the focus on the perceived flaw of the other.
* **"and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?"**: This climactic part of the verse reveals the shocking hypocrisy. The conjunction "and" (G2532, _kaí_) introduces a stark contrast, amplified by the interjection "behold" (G2400, _idoú_), which calls for immediate attention to the glaring, self-evident truth. The "beam" in one's own eye represents a massive, incapacitating moral or spiritual flaw that renders the individual utterly unqualified to offer correction, making their offer to remove a "mote" not only absurd but deeply ironic.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 7:4 is rich in literary devices, primarily **Hyperbole**, **Metaphor**, and **Irony**. The central device is **Hyperbole**, the intentional exaggeration of the contrast between a "mote" (a tiny speck) and a "beam" (a massive log) to underscore the absurdity of the judgmental person's spiritual blindness. This exaggeration makes the point unforgettable and highlights the disproportionate focus on others' minor faults while ignoring one's own major ones. The "mote" and "beam" themselves function as **Metaphors** for moral and spiritual flaws, with the "eye" serving as a metaphor for spiritual perception or discernment. The "mote" represents a small, perhaps insignificant, fault in another, while the "beam" symbolizes a large, obvious, and debilitating flaw in oneself. Finally, the verse is steeped in **Irony**: the person who claims to have the clarity and ability to help another with a minor issue is, in fact, suffering from a far greater, vision-impairing problem themselves. This ironic situation exposes the self-deception inherent in hypocrisy.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 7:4 profoundly underscores the New Testament's emphasis on humility, self-awareness, and the transformative power of God's grace in personal sanctification. It challenges the human tendency to focus on the perceived failings of others while remaining oblivious to or excusing one's own more significant shortcomings. The passage teaches that genuine spiritual help and discernment can only flow from a heart that has first submitted to God's scrutiny and has begun the painful, yet necessary, process of self-correction. This principle is not a prohibition against all forms of discernment or loving correction, but rather a condemnation of judgmentalism that stems from a place of spiritual pride and hypocrisy. True love, as exemplified by Christ, seeks to restore with gentleness and humility, recognizing one's own susceptibility to sin.

* [Romans 2:1-3](/romans/2-1-3 "Romans 2:1-3 - God's Righteous Judgment")
* [Galatians 6:1](/galatians/6-1 "Galatians 6:1 - Restoring a Brother Gently")
* [1 Corinthians 4:5](/1_corinthians/4-5 "1 Corinthians 4:5 - God Judges All Things")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 7:4 serves as a timeless mirror, inviting us to a profound and often uncomfortable self-examination. It challenges the deeply ingrained human tendency to project our own unaddressed issues onto others, or to find comfort in criticizing their perceived flaws rather than confronting our own. The "beam" in our eye might manifest as unconfessed sin, bitterness, pride, a critical spirit, or even a lack of love. Before we offer advice, correction, or judgment, Jesus calls us to a rigorous internal audit. This doesn't mean we ignore sin or never speak truth in love, but it demands that our motivation be pure, our hearts humble, and our own lives submitted to the transforming work of Christ. Only then can we see clearly enough to genuinely help our brother, not condemn him. This verse calls us to cultivate a spirit of humility, compassion, and self-awareness, fostering a community where grace, not judgment, is the prevailing atmosphere.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "beams" might be in my own eye that prevent me from seeing others, or even myself, clearly?**
* **How often do I find myself quick to point out the faults of others before examining my own heart and motives?**
* **In what ways can I cultivate a spirit of humility and self-awareness that allows me to offer genuine help, rather than hypocritical judgment, to those around me?**
* **How does my understanding of God's grace towards me impact my willingness to extend grace to others and refrain from harsh judgment?**

### FAQ
**Does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:4 mean we should never correct or confront sin in others?**

Answer: No, Jesus' teaching does not prohibit all forms of correction or discernment. Rather, it condemns hypocritical and judgmental attitudes that stem from a lack of self-awareness and spiritual pride. The point of [Matthew 7:5](/matthew/7-5 "Matthew 7:5 - First Remove the Beam") is that once the "beam" is removed from one's own eye, one will "see clearly to take the mote out of your brother’s eye." This implies that clear-sighted, humble, and loving correction is indeed possible and, at times, necessary within the Christian community. The emphasis is on the *order* and *condition* of correction: self-examination and humility must always precede attempts to help others, ensuring that our motivation is restorative love, not self-righteous condemnation.

**What is the "mote" and "beam" referring to in practical terms?**

Answer: The "mote" (G2595, _kárphos_) refers to a tiny speck, splinter, or piece of straw, symbolizing a minor or perceived fault in another person. The "beam" (G1385, _dokós_) refers to a large piece of timber or a log, symbolizing a significant, obvious, and incapacitating moral or spiritual flaw in oneself. Practically, the "mote" could be a minor habit, a small mistake, or a perceived character flaw in someone else that irritates us. The "beam," conversely, represents our own unaddressed sins, deep-seated prejudices, spiritual pride, hypocrisy, or a critical spirit that blinds us to our own faults while we hyper-focus on others'. The imagery highlights the absurdity of attempting to fix a trivial issue in another when we are burdened by a far greater, more debilitating problem ourselves.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 7:4, though a warning against human hypocrisy, finds its ultimate fulfillment and solution in Christ. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, is the only one who truly had no "beam" in His eye, yet He came not to condemn the world but to save it [John 3:17](/john/3-17 "John 3:17 - Jesus Came to Save"). He perfectly embodied the self-sacrificial love and humility He taught, demonstrating how to "see clearly" to help others by first bearing their burdens and offering Himself as the ultimate remedy for sin. His life was one of constant self-giving, not self-righteous judgment. Furthermore, the "beam" in our own eyes is ultimately the sin that separates us from God, a burden too heavy for us to remove on our own. It is through faith in Christ's atoning work on the cross that our "beam" is addressed, our spiritual blindness healed, and we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to genuinely see ourselves and others with grace and truth. As believers, we are called to imitate Christ's humility and love [Philippians 2:5-8](/philippians/2-5-8 "Philippians 2:5-8 - Christ's Humility"), recognizing that our capacity to help others comes not from our own perfection, but from the transformative power of the one who perfectly fulfilled this teaching by removing the greatest "beam" of sin from humanity's eye [Hebrews 9:26](/hebrews/9-26 "Hebrews 9:26 - Christ's Sacrifice to Put Away Sin").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.