Meaning, commentary and cross references
Matthew 7:1
“Judge not, that you be not judged.”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
NIV · New International Version
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
WEB · World English Bible
“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
What does Matthew 7:1 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on 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 of rash judgment, interpreting men's words and deeds to the worst sense, and censuring them in a very severe manner; even passing sentence on them, with respect to their eternal state and condition. Good…
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on Matthew 7:1–5
1. Judge not, that you may not be judged. 2. For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged, and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again. 3. And why seest thou the straw, which is in thy brother's eye, and perceivest not the beam which is in thine eye? 4.
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: Matthew 7:1–4 (WEB)
1“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
Cross references
- Luke 6:37
Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.
- Romans 2:1–2
Therefore 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.
- James 4:11–12
Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
- Luke 6:41
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?
- Romans 14:10–13
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
- Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
- 1 Corinthians 4:3–5
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by a human court. Yes, I don’t even judge my own self.
- Romans 14:3–4
Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.