Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
Parallel translations
- WEB Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
- KJV And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
- NKJV And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
- NASB Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
- NLT “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
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 rebukes those who notice small faults in others while ignoring greater faults in themselves. Self-examination must precede correction of others.
Overview
The vivid image of a speck versus a beam exposes the absurdity of self-righteous fault-finding. We are quick to see others' minor failings while blind to our own glaring sin. This call to humility prepares the heart for the grace of Christ, who cleanses us so we may help others gently rather than proudly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- John 8:7When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
- Jas 1:24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
- Rom 2:21–24you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
- Rom 2:1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- Matt 7:3–5Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- John 8:40–44But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.
- 2 Sam 12:5–7David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
- 2 Sam 20:9–10“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
- 1 Chr 21:6But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
- Ezek 18:28Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die.
- 1 Kgs 2:32The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
- 2 Sam 20:20–21“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
- Ps 36:2For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 6:41 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.