Luke 6:41

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples and the surrounding crowd during his Sermon on the Plain, delivering this warning immediately after teaching about a trained disciple's conformity to his teacher (Luke 6:40) and before condemning hypocritical moral correction (Luke 6:42).

The words — βλέπεις (blepeis) translates literally to "look you at," and κάρφος (karphos) denotes a "splinter" or minute particle.

The thread — The text's focus on self-examination before judging others runs through John 8:7, James 1:24, and Romans 2:1.

Why it lands — The verse states that a person must first perceive their own major fault before scrutinizing another's minor one. It requires direct self-correction as a necessary condition for offering correction to others.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Cross-references

John 8:7 When 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.”
James 1:24 and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Romans 2:1 You, 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.
Romans 2:21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
Matthew 7:3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
2 Samuel 12:5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
John 8:40 But 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 Samuel 20:9 “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
2 Samuel 20:20 “Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!