Matthew 7:4

4 Or how say to your brother, `Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?

Matthew 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 7:4

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother?
&c.] This is not so much an interrogation, as an expression of admiration, at the front and impudence of such censorious remarkers, and rigid observators; who not content to point at the faults of others, take upon them to reprove them in a very magisterial way: and it is as if Christ had said, with what face canst thou say to thy friend or neighbour,

let me pull out the mote out of thine eye?
give me leave to rebuke thee sharply for thy sin, as it deserves,

and behold a beam is in thine own eye;
thou art guilty of a far greater iniquity: astonishing impudence! Art thou so blind, as not to see and observe thy viler wickedness? Or which, if conscious of, how canst thou prevail upon thyself to take upon thee to reprove and censure others? Dost thou think thy brother cannot see thy beam? And may he not justly retort thine iniquities upon thee, which exceed his? and then what success canst thou promise thyself? Such persons are very unfit to be reprovers of others.

Matthew 7:4 In-Context

2 for your own judgement will be dealt--and your own measure meted--to yourselves.

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

4 Or how say to your brother, `Allow me to take the splinter out of your eye,' while the beam is in your own eye?

5 Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

6 "Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.