What Does Luke 6:42 Mean?
How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me throw out the splinter from your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite, first throw out the beam from your own eye, and then you will see through to throw out the splinter from your brother's eye.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.THE KEY
The same Greek verb names removing both the mote and the beam; what changes is whether the one removing it can see clearly.
THE MEANING
You can reach to remove a small obstruction from another’s sight while a larger one keeps your own perception from registering. When your own obstruction is removed first, you see distinctly enough to help your brother.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that noticing another person’s flaw proves your own vision is clear; an unexamined obstruction can distort the correction you offer.
THE ROOT
ἐκβάλλω
ekballō
GROWS FROM
βάλλω
ballō
To throw or cast.
“throw out” in this verse is ekballō. Luke uses ἐκβάλλω for both the mote and the beam: English varies the phrase, while Greek repeats one act of casting out. What changes is not the remedy but whether the one doing it can see clearly.
ALSO GROWS
ekballō: Cast out; drive out.
ἐκβάλλω
This is the exact verb used for removing both the mote and the beam in Luke 6:42, though the KJV renders it “pull out” in one place and “cast out” in another.
apoballō: Throw away; cast off.
ἀποβάλλω
The same βάλλω seed carries the sense of throwing something away, echoing the removal of what obstructs sight.
διαβλέψεις
diablepseis
GROWS FROM
βλέπω
blepō
To see, look, or perceive.
“see through” in this verse is diablepseis. After the beam is cast out, the promise is διαβλέψεις, from βλέπω: seeing becomes clear. The verse places that clarity after the clearing, so perception is uncovered rather than supplied.
ALSO GROWS
blepō: See; look.
βλέπω
This is the basic act of seeing carried within the word for seeing clearly.
diablepō: See clearly; see distinctly.
διαβλέπω
This is the form used here for the sight that follows removal of the beam.
emblepō: Look at; gaze on.
ἐμβλέπω
This related form shows βλέπω in focused looking, another shape of perception.
THE PATTERN
Seeing your own hidden faults makes correction of another more clear-sighted.
Who can tell the wanderings apart? From what is hidden, cleanse me.Therefore you who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who cry out not to steal, do you steal?Brothers, even if a person is caught in a stumble, you who are of the breath, mend such a one in the breath of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you also be tested.THE THREAD
Then he laid his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was set back in place, and saw everyone in clear light.Mark uses the same Greek verb, διαβλέπω, that Luke uses for seeing clearly after the beam is removed. In both verses, clear sight names perception restored after what obscures it is dealt with.
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