“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Again, it must be remembered who the audience was in this chapter. It was His disciples (See Matt 5:1-2). He tells them to judge in love only, give what is holy only to Jews who willing to hear the truth, pray for what was needed and it would be given to them. Remember they had previously been told to leave everything and follow Him (Matt 4:18-22; cf. Matt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22). They were also told that whatever they wished others do to them, to do also to them — for this is the Law and the Prophets. This last phrase reminds us that they were still under the law.
Judge not - "This does not mean that one is never, in any sense or to any extent, to judge another, for verse 5 indicates that when one's own life is pure he should take the speck out of the brother's eye. It does mean, however, that a follower of Christ is not to be censorious." (Ryrie)
"The strict meaning of the word 'judge' is to distinguish, to decide; and the variety of applications possible to such a word is evidenced by the fact of the variety of ways in which it is translated in our New Testament. In the Authorised Version it is translated in all these way: Avenge, condemn, decree, esteem, go to law, ordain, sentence to, think, conclude, damn, determine, judge, sue at the law, call in question. There is no value in that grouping save as it reveals the fact that the simplest thought in the word is that of distinguishing decision. Sometimes the decision may be adverse, sometimes it may express it self as a decree determined upon, sometimes it may express itself as a sentence to be carried out. All these varieties are seen in the translations made use of. The simplest though is that of distinguishing, coming to a decision. Sometimes it runs out into action, sometimes it conditions a passive position. Therefore its particular sense must always be determined by the context. Here, evidently, the Lord did not use the word 'judge' in the sense of forbidding us to discriminate, to distinguish, to decide. There can be no doubt whatever that He used it of coming to adverse conclusion in the sense of condemnatory censoriousness. 'Judge not,' condemn not, come to no final decision, do not usurp the throne of judgment, or pass a sentence, or find a final verdict; 'Judge not, that ye be not judge.' So He forbids to His subjects, the usurpation of the throne of final judgment about any human being." (Morgan)
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye - "He did not say, 'Then shalt thou see clearly the mote,' but, 'Then shalt thou see clearly to cast it out.' The man with the beam is the man who is looking for the mote, and beholding it. Notice the question, 'Why beholdest thou the mote?' You criticize it, you attack it, but you cannot move it. Get the beam out of your own, get the passion for criticism removed, get the ungodly and unchristlike endeavor to find the mote destroyed; and then you will see clearly, not the mote, but how to remove it. The power for removing the mote to which you object lies, not in the acuteness of your vision, but in the passionate love which makes you desire to remove it. And so with the beam of unchristly censoriousness and criticism gone, you will be able to take the mote out of your brother's eye." (Morgan)
Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs - Gentiles were referred to as dogs (Matt 15:26, cf. Mk 7:27). So were evildoers (See Phil 3:2 and Rev 22:15).
dogs ... pigs - "Both animals were despised and represent unholy people." (Ryrie)
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them - "The well-known golden rule. It was also taught by the great Jewish rabbis, such as Rabbi Hillel." (Ryrie)
"The 12th verse in this chapter is one of the most misapplied in the whole discourse of our Lord. 'All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, thus do ye also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.' This, many professing Christians and others, who make no profession at all, call the golden rule. How many, Jews and Gentiles, have told us that this is the religion they believe in. It is even claimed that the 'sacred' books of the East, the religious products of Buddhism and Brahmanism, something similar is found. (Jews claim the same for the Talmud because Hillel taught 'What thou wouldst not wish for thyself, do not unto they neighbor. This is the whole law.' — Talmud, Sabb. 31.) Yet with all this boast in a rule which they do not understand, no one keeps it nor would think of keeping it. The Lord gives this practical word to the true disciple. He who is born again is born of God. He has the nature of God and that is love. 'He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. * * * Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law' (Rom 8:8 and 10). 'For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another' (1 John 3:2). 'We love, because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19). We see then that the terse saying our Lord puts in the chapter is not out of keeping with the whole. The outcome of intercourse with God spoken of in verses 7-11 will be, acting in love." (Gaebelein)
Again, it must be remembered who the audience was in this chapter. It was His disciples (See Matt 5:1-2). He tells them to judge in love only, give what is holy only to Jews who willing to hear the truth, pray for what was needed and it would be given to them. Remember they had previously been told to leave everything and follow Him (Matt 4:18-22; cf. Matt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22). They were also told that whatever they wished others do to them, to do also to them — for this is the Law and the Prophets. This last phrase reminds us that they were still under the law.
Judge not - "This does not mean that one is never, in any sense or to any extent, to judge another, for verse 5 indicates that when one's own life is pure he should take the speck out of the brother's eye. It does mean, however, that a follower of Christ is not to be censorious." (Ryrie)
"The strict meaning of the word 'judge' is to distinguish, to decide; and the variety of applications possible to such a word is evidenced by the fact of the variety of ways in which it is translated in our New Testament. In the Authorised Version it is translated in all these way: Avenge, condemn, decree, esteem, go to law, ordain, sentence to, think, conclude, damn, determine, judge, sue at the law, call in question. There is no value in that grouping save as it reveals the fact that the simplest thought in the word is that of distinguishing decision. Sometimes the decision may be adverse, sometimes it may express it self as a decree determined upon, sometimes it may express itself as a sentence to be carried out. All these varieties are seen in the translations made use of. The simplest though is that of distinguishing, coming to a decision. Sometimes it runs out into action, sometimes it conditions a passive position. Therefore its particular sense must always be determined by the context. Here, evidently, the Lord did not use the word 'judge' in the sense of forbidding us to discriminate, to distinguish, to decide. There can be no doubt whatever that He used it of coming to adverse conclusion in the sense of condemnatory censoriousness. 'Judge not,' condemn not, come to no final decision, do not usurp the throne of judgment, or pass a sentence, or find a final verdict; 'Judge not, that ye be not judge.' So He forbids to His subjects, the usurpation of the throne of final judgment about any human being." (Morgan)
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye - "He did not say, 'Then shalt thou see clearly the mote,' but, 'Then shalt thou see clearly to cast it out.' The man with the beam is the man who is looking for the mote, and beholding it. Notice the question, 'Why beholdest thou the mote?' You criticize it, you attack it, but you cannot move it. Get the beam out of your own, get the passion for criticism removed, get the ungodly and unchristlike endeavor to find the mote destroyed; and then you will see clearly, not the mote, but how to remove it. The power for removing the mote to which you object lies, not in the acuteness of your vision, but in the passionate love which makes you desire to remove it. And so with the beam of unchristly censoriousness and criticism gone, you will be able to take the mote out of your brother's eye." (Morgan)
Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs - Gentiles were referred to as dogs (Matt 15:26, cf. Mk 7:27). So were evildoers (See Phil 3:2 and Rev 22:15).
dogs ... pigs - "Both animals were despised and represent unholy people." (Ryrie)
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them - "The well-known golden rule. It was also taught by the great Jewish rabbis, such as Rabbi Hillel." (Ryrie)
"The 12th verse in this chapter is one of the most misapplied in the whole discourse of our Lord. 'All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, thus do ye also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.' This, many professing Christians and others, who make no profession at all, call the golden rule. How many, Jews and Gentiles, have told us that this is the religion they believe in. It is even claimed that the 'sacred' books of the East, the religious products of Buddhism and Brahmanism, something similar is found. (Jews claim the same for the Talmud because Hillel taught 'What thou wouldst not wish for thyself, do not unto they neighbor. This is the whole law.' — Talmud, Sabb. 31.) Yet with all this boast in a rule which they do not understand, no one keeps it nor would think of keeping it. The Lord gives this practical word to the true disciple. He who is born again is born of God. He has the nature of God and that is love. 'He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. * * * Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law' (Rom 8:8 and 10). 'For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another' (1 John 3:2). 'We love, because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19). We see then that the terse saying our Lord puts in the chapter is not out of keeping with the whole. The outcome of intercourse with God spoken of in verses 7-11 will be, acting in love." (Gaebelein)
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