Matthew 7:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

NIV: For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

NASB: For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

CSB: For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.

NLT: For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

KJV: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

NKJV: For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Jesus has commanded His followers not to judge (Matthew 7:1), but this statement is not meant to be ripped out of context and misapplied. Here, Christ begins giving some of the context needed to interpret those words. Christians should not take God's place in declaring some people righteous and others unrighteous, when we look only using shallowness or ignorance. They must not be judgmental—implying something unfair or inappropriate—because God has not given them this authority. Those who pass judgment on others for differences of opinion, or doubtful matters, are attempting to take God's place of judgment over His people. Those attitudes motivate people to perform righteous acts in order to be approved by others instead of God.

Jesus now offers a solemn warning. Those who pronounce judgment on others as if they were God will be judged with exactly the same force and to the same degree. Some commentators understand Jesus to be expressing a principle of human nature. Judgmental people always end up being judged by everyone else. Their attempt to hold everyone else to a higher standard provokes the people around them to measure every action they themselves take. Holding others to unreasonable standards leads to charges of hypocrisy. In that sense, this parallels the ideas of forgiveness and mercy (Matthew 6:14–15). Those who unfairly judge others lack understanding of their own limitations.

Other commentators understand Jesus to be warning about judgment from God, Himself: He will judge those who judge others. He will hold judgmental people accountable for attempting to take on His role. He will bring perfect justice by judging those who are wrongly critical with using the same exacting standards they attempted to afflict on others.

Matthew 7:1–6 delivers Jesus' declaration that His followers must not pronounce God's judgment on each other. Those who do try to take God's role in this way will be judged in the same way themselves. Human beings are not qualified to pronounce judgment because they are blind to their own sin. To help another with a speck in his eye, a person must first remove the log of obvious sin from his own eye. He also warns against wasting time or effort on those who clearly have no interest; they won't appreciate it and may attack you for it.

Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus' teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of chapters 8 and 9.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.