“Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1 NASB).
While I have already sufficiently dealt with this verse in a previous post, I continue to receive challenges or criticisms to my view on the role that judgment plays in the Christian’s life or in regards to my interpretation of this particular verse. While my prior writing on Matthew 7 has not been addressed in any serious fashion—the points made have simply been ignored or unread, but not actually dealt with—I thought perhaps it would be more helpful to give this particular section of Scripture a more thorough analysis as to its meaning, rather than mostly offering refutations and counterpoints to competing views.
Let’s take another look at the entire context of this verse:
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:1–6)
The Greek word for “judge” used in this verse is “krino.” According to the Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains (DBL), the word is a verb that can mean to “decide,” “to prefer,” “to evaluate,” “to hold or view,” or “to have an opinion,” “to make a legal decision,” “to condemn” or to “rule.” Clearly, the Greek word, if it were to stand by itself, has a wide range of meanings where each meaning often infers the other. Now if this verse is to be taken from its actual context as a “proof text” for the purpose of proving that we should never, ever judge others, then we should also be consistent and never decide anything, or hold any opinions or views whatsoever, or prefer any one thing above another, etc….
Obviously, such an interpretation would be utterly ridiculous and even self-refuting. And while I have never met anyone who has actually taken such an extreme view on this verse, it demonstrates the need for context in order to figure out what it means. Nonetheless, the objection I have encountered regarding my view of Matt 7:1 is that the verse forbids “passing judgment,” but it doesn’t forbid us from “making evaluations” or from “making assessments.”
I submit that this is an arbitrary distinction. It is made purely a priori and on the grounds that “judge” and “assess/ evaluate” are different words, despite the fact that they are synonyms, which share the same meanings. Simply consulting a couple of dictionaries and a thesaurus would demonstrate this. But also, since the Greek word under consideration is “krino,” and also means “to assess,” then it would follow that we are forbidden to even make assessments by the same reasoning.
But let’s turn to a few respected bible commentaries and see what they say.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
“A final illustration of Pharisaic practices pertains to judging. The Pharisees were then judging Christ and finding Him to be inadequate. He was not offering the kind of kingdom they anticipated or asking for the kind of righteousness they were exhibiting. So they rejected Him. Jesus therefore warned them against hypocritical judging.”
“This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made; Matthew 7:5 does speak of removing the speck from your brother’s eye. The Lord’s point was that a person should not be habitually critical or condemnatory of a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye when he has a plank—a strong hyperbole for effect—in his own eye. Such action is hypocritical (You hypocrite, v. 5; cf. “hypocrites” in 6:2, 5, 16). Though judgment is sometimes needed, those making the distinctions (krinō, judge, means “to distinguish” and thus “to decide”) must first be certain of their own lives.”
The New Bible Commentary:
“7:1–6 On judging other people (see Lk. 6:37–38, 41–42). 1–5 warn against criticizing other people without considering how open to criticism we ourselves may be; be judged may well refer to God’s judgment, as well as that of other people. But v 6 indicates that there is also a right kind of judgment which the disciple is called on to exercise (cf. also vs 15–20).”
The Pulpit Commentary:
“Judge not. Not merely “do not condemn,” for this would leave too much latitude; nor, on the other hand, “do not ever judge,” for this is sometimes our duty: but “do not be always judging” (μὴ κρίνετε). Our Lord opposes the censorious spirit. “Let us therefore be lowly minded, brethren, laying aside all arrogance, and conceit, and folly, and anger, and let us do that which is written … most of all remembering the words of the Lord Jesus which he spake, teaching forbearance and long-suffering; for thus he spake … ‘As ye judge, so shall ye be judged,’ ” Clem. Rom., § 13 (wheresee Bishop lightfoot’s note: cf. also Resch, ‘Agrapha,’ pp. 96, 136 ff.); cf. ‘Ab.,’ i. 7 (Taylor), “Judge every man in the scale of merit;” i.e let the scale incline towards the side of merit or acquittal. That ye be not judged; i.e. by God, with special reference to the last day (cf. Jas. 2:12, 13; 5:9; Rom. 2:3).”
In addition to these three commentaries, the IVP Bible Background Commentary: NT also offers some interesting, insightful aspects regarding the verse. The section is dealt with under the heading “Recriprocal Judgment” and demonstrates the biblical and cultural allusions made within that section. The IVP treats verses 1 and 2 as though they were part of the same point. Let’s take a look at what it says:
“7:1-2. The idea of a measuring scale (the image is taken from an ancient market place) was used elsewhere for the day of judgment or divine retribution; “As a man measures it will be measured back to him” occurs a number of times in later Jewish sources and may have been a maxim. For the principle, see Matt 5:7, 6:14-15, and Proverbs 19:17. Compare also the Old Testament principles that false witnesses were to receive the penalty they sought for the accused (Deut 19:18-21) and that God opposed unjust judges (Ex 23:6-8; Deut 16:18-20).”
The entire section of Matthew 7:1-6 is rich in imagery. The section would have conjured up all sorts of images and practices well known to Jesus' audience. Scales were often used in the ancient marketplace, so why should they be mentioned here? Obviously, they are metaphors taken from the everyday lives and experiences of those whom He is addressing. Consider it this way: what would bad, dishonest business men have to do with Jesus’ point? Well...don’t they rig their scales to tilt in their favor? And isn’t doing so cheating people, failing to measure properly or fairly?
Our disposition in our measuring or in our judging of others should be tilted favorably toward those we are judging, not toward ourselves at their expense. The verses indicated in the IVP Commentary concerning this principle are about mercy, forgiveness, and graciousness. We should incline ourselves (or tilt our scales) toward those virtues because we have received these from the Lord. We live and breathe out of His patience and mercy because we all deserve to die, right now, for our offenses against a holy God and cast into outer darkness. However, this does not mean that I cannot say, “A man who murders is a murderer and deserves death,” because it is a true and a just judgment. Scripture thoroughly testifies to this. But, my inclination should be toward graciousness, seeking to forgive, if possible. This mercy does not occur at the expense of justice, but at the expense of my own self-righteousness or personal benefit. Justice is to practice “an eye for an eye.” Justice demands that no crime goes unpunished in proper proportion to the crime committed. Anything else is mercy, where we are acknowledging that law and its rights over us; or it is a disregard of justice for others, which is unjust and wicked. Nobody is owed or deserves mercy. It is given as a matter of grace, an unmerited gift to the offender.
However, to those who deal unjustly or hypocritically in their judgments, to those who tip their scales to elevate themselves rather than to incline them for the good of others, they are wicked and vicious. They seek to condemn others by using the law to their advantage. They lie and judge falsely and will receive their just desserts:
15 “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. 16 If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, 17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. 18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. 21 Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Deut 19:15–21)
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