What Does Matthew 7:5 Mean in the King James?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same act that clears another’s sight begins with removing what obstructs your own.
THE MEANING
The beam in your own eye obstructs your clear sight of another person’s mote. Clarity comes after you remove your own obstruction; then the same act of casting out reaches your brother’s eye.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
“I can see another person’s fault clearly while ignoring what obstructs my own sight.”
THE ROOT
ἔκβαλε
ekbale
GROWS FROM
βάλλω
ballō
To throw, cast, or put something into motion.
The same Greek verb is used for the beam and the mote: both are cast out, though they differ in scale. Clear sight for the second act follows the first removal.
ALSO GROWS
ballō: Throw or cast.
βάλλω
This is the base verb behind both acts of removal in the verse.
ekballō: Throw out or drive out.
ἐκβάλλω
It names the act applied first to the beam and then to the mote.
apoballō: Throw away or cast off.
ἀποβάλλω
It shows the same root carrying the sense of letting something go.
διαβλέψεις
diablepseis
GROWS FROM
βλέπω
blepō
To see or look.
“see clearly” in this verse is diablepseis. The verse uses διαβλέπω (diablepō), seeing distinctly or clearly, for what becomes possible after the beam is removed. Its base βλέπω (blepō) also appears in words for looking directly and for looking up or seeing again, tying clear perception to the passage’s image of sight restored.
ALSO GROWS
emblepō: Look at or gaze upon.
ἐμβλέπω
It carries the base sense of seeing directed toward something.
anablepō: Look up; see again or recover sight.
ἀναβλέπω
It echoes the movement from obstructed vision toward seeing.
THE PATTERN
Seeing and restoring another clearly begins with turning attention toward what is within yourself.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.THE THREAD
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.John uses the same βλέπω (blepō, see) root that appears in διαβλέπω (diablepō, see clearly) here. Together the verses expose a paradox of sight: believing you see does not guarantee clear perception.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us