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?
Parallel translations
- 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?
- BSB Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your 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 8:7But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”
- Jas 1:24for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
- Rom 2:21–24You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal?
- Rom 2:1Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.
- Matt 7:3–5Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?
- John 8:40–44But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.
- 2 Sam 12:5–7David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!
- 2 Sam 20:9–10Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
- 1 Chr 21:6But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
- Ezek 18:28Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
- 1 Kgs 2:32Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn’t know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.
- 2 Sam 20:20–21Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
- Ps 36:2For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.