Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
- KJV Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
- BSB Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- NKJV Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
- NLT Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus commands them not to judge by appearances but to judge with righteous judgment. He calls for discernment that goes beneath the surface to the truth.
Overview
Having exposed their superficial reasoning about the Sabbath, Jesus calls for judgment that is fair and rooted in God's righteousness rather than outward impressions. This corrects their snap condemnation of His healing and challenges all hasty, surface-level judgments. True discernment evaluates by God's standards, and ultimately rightly recognizes who Jesus is.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Isa 11:3–4His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;
- Jas 2:9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
- Prov 17:15He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
- John 8:15You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.
- Prov 24:23These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Jas 2:1My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.
- Lev 19:15“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
- Isa 5:23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!
- Deut 1:16–17I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.
- Deut 16:18–19You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Jas 2:4haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
- Ps 58:1–2For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
- Ps 82:2“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah.
- Ps 94:20–21Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
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John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
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Original language
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