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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 7:1-6

Our Saviour is here directing us how to conduct ourselves in reference to the faults of others; and his expressions seem intended as a reproof to the scribes and Pharisees, who were very rigid and severe, very magisterial and supercilious, in condemning all about them, as those commonly are, that are proud and conceited in justifying themselves. We have here, I. A caution against judging Matt. 7:1, 2. There are those whose office it is to judge-magistrates and ministers. Christ, though he made... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 7:1-5

7:1-5 Do not judge others, in order that you may not be judged; for with the standard of judgment with which you judge you will be judged; and with the measure you measure to others it will be measured to you. Why do you look for the speck of dust in your brother's eye, and never notice the plank that is in your own eye? or, how will you say to your brother: "Let me remove the speck of dust from your eye," and, see, there is a plank in your own eye? Hypocrite! first remove the plank from... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 7:1-5

There are three great reasons why no man should judge another. (i) We never know the whole facts or the whole person. Long ago Hillel the famous Rabbi said, "Do not judge a man until you yourself have come into his circumstances or situation." No man knows the strength of another man's temptations. The man with the placid and equable temperament knows nothing of the temptations of the man whose blood is afire and whose passions are on a hair-trigger. The man brought up in a good home and in... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 7:6

7:6 Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, and do not cast your pearls before pigs, lest they trample upon them with their feet, and turn and rend you. This is a very difficult saying of Jesus for, on the face of it, it seems to demand an exclusiveness which is the very reverse of the Christian message. It was, in fact, a saying which was used in two ways in the early Church. (i) It was used by the Jews who believed that God's gifts and God's grace were for Jews alone. It was used... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 7:6

It is just possible that this saying of Jesus has become altered accidentally in its transmission. It is a good example of the Hebrew habit of parallelism which we have already met ( Matthew 6:10 ). Let us set it down in its parallel clauses: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs; Neither cast ye your pearls before swine." With the exception of one word the parallelism is complete. Give is parallelled by cast; dogs by swine; but holy is not really balanced by pearls. There... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:1

Judge not, that ye be not judged. This is not to be understood of any sort of judgment; not of judgment in the civil courts of judicature, by proper magistrates, which ought to be made and pass, according to the nature of the case; nor of judgment in the churches of Christ, where offenders are to be called to an account, examined, tried, and dealt with according to the rules of the Gospel; nor of every private judgment, which one man may make upon another, without any detriment to him; but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:2

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ,.... Both by God and men; to which agree those proverbial sentences used by the Jews; "He that judgeth his neighbour according to the balance of righteousness, or innocence, they judge him according to righteousness.' F23 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 127. 2. And a little after, "As ye have judged me according to the balance of righteousness, God will judge you according to the balance of righteousness.' Hence that advice of Joshua... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:3

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye ?.... By "mote" is meant, any little bit of straw, or small splinter of wood, that flies into the eye, and does it damage, hinders its sight, and gives it pain; and designs little sins, comparatively speaking, such as youthful follies, human frailties, and infirmities, inadvertencies and imprudencies; which may be said to be light faults, in comparison of others: and though not to be vindicated, nor continued in, yet not to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:4

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother ?.... 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:5

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye ,.... Very rightly does our Lord call such a man an hypocrite, who is very free in remarking and reproving other men's sins, and covering his own; and indeed, one end of his critical observations, rigid censures, and rash judgments is, that he might be thought to be holier than he is. Christ very manifestly points at the Scribes and Pharisees, who were men of such a complexion; and whom he often, without any breach of charity,... read more

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