• Matthew 7:3
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 3 τί Why δὲ but βλέπεις you look at τὸ the κάρφος straw τὸ the (one) ἐν in τῷ the ὀφθαλμῷ eye τοῦ of the ἀδελφοῦ brother σου, of you, τὴν the δὲ but ἐν in τῷ the σῷ your ὀφθαλμῷ eye δοκὸν rafter οὐ not κατανοεῖς; you are considering?

  • Matthew Study Notes—Chapter 7
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 7:3

      straw . . . rafter: Jesus here uses striking hyperbole to describe a person who is critical of his brother. He compares a minor flaw to something small like a “straw.” The Greek word karʹphos can refer not only to a “straw” but also to a small piece of wood, so other Bibles render it a “splinter,” or a “speck of sawdust.” The critic implies that his brother’s spiritual vision, including his moral perception and judgment, is defective. By offering to “remove the straw,” he proudly asserts that he is qualified to help his brother see things more clearly and to judge matters correctly. Jesus, however, says that the critic’s own spiritual vision and judgment are impaired by a symbolic “rafter,” a log or beam that might be used to support a roof. (Mt 7:4, 5) Some suggest that this powerful, even humorous contrast, indicates that Jesus was familiar with the work done in a carpenter’s shop.

      your brother’s: In this context, the Greek word a·del·phosʹ (brother) refers to a spiritual relationship and denotes a fellow worshipper of God. In a general sense, the term could also refer to one’s fellow man.​—See study note on Mt 5:23.