NOTES for Mat 7:1-12
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. |
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. |
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? |
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? |
5 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. |
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. |
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: |
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. |
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? |
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? |
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? |
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. |
Hide
There are several meaningful sections in today's reading. The first of them, perhaps, (vv. 1-5) is the clearest in meaning, although the hardest of all to put into practice! Verse 6 gives an example of a fairly typical stylistic device in oral speech called "chiasm," when a phrase is built on the pattern "ABba." In our case, "trampled underfoot" refers to the pigs, and "turned and tore" refers to the dogs.
But what is all this about? Are we really supposed to consider someone dogs and pigs? Let me recall that both were considered unclean animals. Hardly! The preceding verses do not allow that. It is probably about the fact that even the most objectively good things, whether objects or ideas, do not necessarily turn out to be subjectively good in concrete situations, and therefore wisdom is needed in using them. The next section (vv. 7-11) not only urges us to persistent prayer, but also assures us that the Heavenly Father always answers it, and specifically with what "gives good things." In another Gospel this passage says that He "will give the Holy Spirit," who, of course, is the ultimate "good thing." That is, the answer from God may be "not exactly" what we expect.
Readings for 21 August 2025
After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free. | ||
