Matthew 7:3 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.

Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother`s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Matthew 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?

Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother`s eye.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beholdest", "thou", "mote", "brother", "considerest", "beam", and "thine". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beholdest" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For with what judgment ye judge ye..." into verse 4's "Or how wilt thou say to thy...", so "beholdest" and "thou" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beholdest" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.