Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• Acts 4:12
• Acts 10:42
• Acts 17:29-31
• Colossians 2:16
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
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• 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
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• 2 Corinthians 5:10
• 2 Corinthians 13:1
• Galatians 6:1
• Hebrews 4:12
• James 4:11-12
• John 5:22
• John 7:23-24
• John 8:1-7
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• John 8:14-18
• John 12:48
• Luke 6:37-44
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• Matthew 7:1-5
• Matthew 7:15-20
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• Matthew 12:36-37
• Revelation 20:11-15
• Romans 2:1-6
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• Romans 2:12
• Romans 14:1-13
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• 1 Timothy 6:20
• 2 Timothy 2:25-26
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Titus 3:9-11

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 17:6
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• Deuteronomy 19:15
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• Ecclesiastes 7:21-22
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• Exodus 18:13-23
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• Isaiah 26:9
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• 2 Kings 12:1-4
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• 2 Kings 14:1-4
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• 2 Kings 15:1-4
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• 2 Kings 15:32-35
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• Leviticus 13:1-3
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• Leviticus 19:15
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• Proverbs 21:2
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• Proverbs 31:9
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• Psalms 7:12
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• Psalms 9:8
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• Psalms 50:6
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Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

"Judging" is forming an opinion based on evidence or perceived evidence. There are two basic kinds of judgment: (1) temporal and (2) eternal, and there are three authorities for passing judgment: (1) God, (2) mankind, and (3) institutional. Temporal judgment is of the here and now, whereas eternal judgment has to do with one's life with God in the world to come. The authorities for eternal judgment are (first and foremost) God, but also batei din (ecclesiastical courts) in which the body of believers renders judgments that could have eternal consequences: Matthew 18:15-19 : Moreover, if your brother commits a sin against you, go and show him his fault - but privately, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to hear them, tell the congregation; and if he refuses to listen even to the congregation, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax-collector. Yes! I tell you people that whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. To repeat, I tell you that if two of you here on earth agree about anything people ask, it will be for them from my Father in heaven. Temporal judgments are of two levels. The first is "merely forming an opinion", and the second is "making a finding"; they may appear the same but they are not. The first of these, forming an opinion, may lead to making a personal decision such as whether to trust a person or be in a person's company, but it is not, by definition, conveyed to another person lest it constitute gossip. Proverbs 20:19 : A gossip goes around revealing secrets, so don't get involved with a talkative person. 2 Corinthians 12:20 : For I am afraid of coming and finding you not the way I want you to be, and also of not being found the way you want me to be. I am afraid of finding quarreling and jealousy, anger and rivalry, slander and gossip, arrogance and disorder. The second level of judging (making a finding), is intended to influence others and, if done rightly and officially (e.g. by a bet din ), the finding is binding on others such as when a court finds a party guilty or innocent of violating a law. There is a difference between judging "rightly", "rightfully", and "righteously" (the opposite is judging wrongly, wrongfully, and un-righteously): judging "rightly" means making a correct decision, and judging "wrongly" means making a wrong decision. A person can be a proper person to judge and still make a wrong decision. A similar term, judging "rightfully" (the opposite is "wrongfully") has nothing to do with whether a judgment rendered is right or wrong; it has to do with whether the person judging is a proper person to do it (in legal terms, "has jurisdiction"). An example would be a person that witnesses a murder and, without authority, convenes a trial, judges, and convicts the murderer. The judgment is right because the convicted person did, in fact, commit the crime. However, the person judging the murderer has not judged rightly because he or she did not have authority to convene the trial and appoint him or herself to be the judge. Scripture requires that even when a person judges rightly and rightfully, he or she must also judge righteously. That is, the person doing the judging must not be in a state of unrepentant sin while judging another. Scripture says that if you are yourself guilty of that which you judge another, you are a hypocrite and pass judgment upon yourself. It is important to understand that, not only are there certain kinds of judgments we should not make, but there are certain kinds that are required of us. One that is often overlooked is Galatians 6:1 : Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won't be tempted too. And also 1 Corinthians 5:12b : Isn't it those who are part of the [believing] community that you should be judging? In order to be able to correct a fellow believer (or a family member), we must first determine that he or she is doing something wrong, and that constitutes making a judgment. It is not uncommon for those we seek to properly correct to rebuff our correction by quoting Matthew 7:1 which, in the "King James Version", reads: Judge not, that ye be not judged. As impressive as it sounds in the old English vernacular, it is an incorrect application of the Scripture if it is spoken in order to avoid the correction. The Scripture does not mean that it is improper for believers or family members to correct one another. It warns a person who corrects another that he or she is held to the same standard of righteousness with which he or she is judging. This is made clear if we read further to verse five: Matthew 7:1-5 Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. For the way you judge others is how you will be judged - the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you. Why do you see the splinter in your brother's eye but not notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the splinter out of your eye,' when you have the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye! (CJB) Very wise advice!

Rabbi Daniel Juster

The use of the Matthew 7:1 phrase " Judge not, that ye be not judged. " (KJV) has probably become the most popular biblical verse for people who do not want to be accountable for their behavior, and teach that no one should evaluate or judge them in any way. This is so obviously wrong and foolish. We have to make judgments all the time. Should we trust the vacuum salesman, the insurance man, the investment counselor and others? The Bible says to have nothing to do with people who claim to be believers who engage in certain sinful practices. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 , the Apostle Paul instructs the Corinthians to judge a particular man who is living in sin and remove him from the fellowship. Also, Matthew 18:15-17 shows how judgment comes about. So what was Yeshua speaking about in Matthew 7:1 ? Hypocrisy and not having a judgmental or censorious spirit.

Classical commentators

This Mitzvah is not addressed by any of the classical commentators. Most of what they have to say about judging is related to justice in batei din and are dealt with elsewhere in this volume.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

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Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.

Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2