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Do Not Judge Others

37 “Do[a] not judge,[b] and you will not be judged;[c] do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive,[d] and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over,[e] will be poured[f] into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”[g]

39 He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he?[h] Won’t they both fall[i] into a pit? 40 A disciple[j] is not greater than[k] his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why[l] do you see the speck[m] in your brother’s eye, but fail to see[n] the beam of wood[o] in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 6:37 tn Grk “And do.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  2. Luke 6:37 sn As the Gospel makes clear, with the statement do not judge Jesus had in mind making a judgment that caused one to cut oneself off from someone so that they ceased to be reached out to (5:27-32; 15:1-32). Jesus himself did make judgments about where people stand (11:37-54), but not in such a way that he ceased to continue to offer them God’s grace.
  3. Luke 6:37 sn The point of the statement do not judge, and you will not be judged is that the standards one applies to others God applies back. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
  4. Luke 6:37 sn On forgive see Luke 11:4; 1 Pet 3:7.
  5. Luke 6:38 sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.
  6. Luke 6:38 tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.
  7. Luke 6:38 tn Grk “by the measure with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”
  8. Luke 6:39 tn Questions prefaced with μή () in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “can he?”).
  9. Luke 6:39 sn The picture of a blind man leading a blind man is a warning to watch who one follows: Won’t they both fall into a pit? The sermon has been about religious choices and reacting graciously to those who oppose the followers of Jesus. Here Jesus’ point was to be careful who you follow and where they are taking you.
  10. Luke 6:40 tn Or “student.”
  11. Luke 6:40 tn Or “significantly different.” The idea, as the next phrase shows, is that teachers build followers who go the same direction they do.
  12. Luke 6:41 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  13. Luke 6:41 sn A speck (also twice in v. 42) refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw (L&N 3.66); KJV, ASV “mote”; NAB “splinter.”
  14. Luke 6:41 tn Or “do not notice.”
  15. Luke 6:41 sn The beam of wood (also twice in v. 42) refers to a big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).

Judging Others

37 (A)(B)“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; (C)forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 (D)give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put (E)into your lap. For (F)with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

39 He also told them a parable: (G)“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 (H)A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is (I)fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 (J)Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but (K)do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

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