ESTUDIO DEL CAPÍTULO

Matthew 7: Judgment, Prayer, and the Narrow Way

Matthew 7 concludes Jesus’ teaching with instructions on judgment, prayer, discernment, obedience, and endurance under pressure.

Escritura

  1. 1.No juzguéis, para que no seáis juzgados.Judge not, that ye be not judged.
  2. 2.Porque con el juicio con que juzgáis, seréis juzgados, y con la medida con que medís, os será medido.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
  3. 3.¿Y por qué miras la paja que está en el ojo de tu hermano, y no echas de ver la viga que está en tu propio ojo?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. 4.¿O cómo dirás a tu hermano: Déjame sacar la paja de tu ojo, y he aquí la viga en el ojo tuyo?Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?
  5. 5.¡Hipócrita! saca primero la viga de tu propio ojo, y entonces verás bien para sacar la paja del ojo de tu hermano.Thou hypocrite, cast out first 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. 6.No deis lo santo a los perros, ni echéis vuestras perlas delante de los cerdos, no sea que las pisoteen, y se vuelvan y os despedacen.Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
  7. 7.Pedid, y se os dará; buscad, y hallaréis; llamad, y se os abrirá.Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
  8. 8.Porque todo aquel que pide, recibe; y el que busca, halla; y al que llama, se le abrirá.for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
  9. 9.¿Qué hombre hay de vosotros, que si su hijo le pide pan, le dará una piedra?Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;
  10. 10.¿O si le pide un pescado, le dará una serpiente?or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?
  11. 11.Pues si vosotros, siendo malos, sabéis dar buenas dádivas a vuestros hijos, ¿cuánto más vuestro Padre que está en los cielos dará buenas cosas a los que le pidan?If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
  12. 12.Así que, todas las cosas que queráis que los hombres hagan con vosotros, así también haced vosotros con ellos; porque esto es la ley y los profetas.All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.
  13. 13.Entrad por la puerta estrecha; porque ancha es la puerta, y espacioso el camino que lleva a la perdición, y muchos son los que entran por ella;Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
  14. 14.porque estrecha es la puerta, y angosto el camino que lleva a la vida, y pocos son los que la hallan.For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
  15. 15.Guardaos de los falsos profetas, que vienen a vosotros con vestidos de ovejas, pero por dentro son lobos rapaces.Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
  16. 16.Por sus frutos los conoceréis. ¿Acaso se recogen uvas de los espinos, o higos de los abrojos?By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
  17. 17.Así, todo buen árbol da buenos frutos, pero el árbol malo da frutos malos.Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
  18. 18.No puede el buen árbol dar malos frutos, ni el árbol malo dar frutos buenos.A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
  19. 19.Todo árbol que no da buen fruto, es cortado y echado en el fuego.Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
  20. 20.Así que, por sus frutos los conoceréis.Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
  21. 21.No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos.Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
  22. 22.Muchos me dirán en aquel día: Señor, Señor, ¿no profetizamos en tu nombre, y en tu nombre echamos fuera demonios, y en tu nombre hicimos muchos milagros?Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?
  23. 23.Y entonces les declararé: Nunca os conocí; apartaos de mí, hacedores de maldad.And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
  24. 24.Cualquiera, pues, que me oye estas palabras, y las hace, le compararé a un hombre prudente, que edificó su casa sobre la roca.Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:
  25. 25.Descendió lluvia, y vinieron ríos, y soplaron vientos, y golpearon contra aquella casa; y no cayó, porque estaba fundada sobre la roca.and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.
  26. 26.Pero cualquiera que me oye estas palabras y no las hace, le compararé a un hombre insensato, que edificó su casa sobre la arena;And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
  27. 27.y descendió lluvia, y vinieron ríos, y soplaron vientos, y dieron con ímpetu contra aquella casa; y cayó, y fue grande su ruina.and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.
  28. 28.Y cuando terminó Jesús estas palabras, la gente se admiraba de su doctrina;And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching:
  29. 29.porque les enseñaba como quien tiene autoridad, y no como los escribas.for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Qué significa este pasaje

The opening command addresses a condemnatory attitude rather than forbidding every form of evaluation. The speck-and-beam saying exposes the hypocrisy of overlooking one’s own greater fault while correcting another; self-examination precedes responsible discernment.

Prayer is portrayed as continuing dependence: asking, seeking, and knocking form a sequence. Jesus reasons from the generosity of human parents to the greater goodness of the heavenly Father, who gives good things to those who ask.

The chapter then moves from discernment of false teachers to the necessity of doing the Father’s will. The two builders show that hearing Jesus’ words is not enough; obedient practice is the foundation that remains when storms come.

Contexto

The chapter closes the teaching discourse identified by the statement that the crowds were astonished at Jesus’ authority. Its movement is practical: relationships, prayer, choices, teachers, final judgment, and faithful obedience. The command not to judge must therefore be read alongside the later call to recognize false prophets by their fruit, not as permission to abandon moral discernment.

Palabras clave del original

  • G2919 The verb rendered “judge” can mean to try, condemn, or punish. Its range helps explain why Matthew 7 must be read as a warning against the judging disposition pictured in the beam, while not eliminating discernment entirely.
  • G2443 This conjunction marks purpose or result. In the opening command it connects the response of avoiding judgment with the command not to judge, without treating the saying as a promise of automatic exemption from all consequences.
  • G1385 The word means a stick or beam of timber. The exaggerated contrast with a speck in the brother’s eye makes the speaker’s self-unaware fault the central issue.

Versículos relacionados

  • Matthew 21:22 This passage reinforces the chapter’s emphasis on asking in prayer, while Matthew 7 presents asking as part of a pattern of seeking and knocking rather than as a detached formula.
  • John 15:7 The connection highlights the relationship in which prayer is made: Jesus’ words abiding in his followers. It provides a broader frame for the Father’s readiness to answer.
  • Luke 13:24 The parallel narrow-door saying stresses the need to strive and the danger of seeking entry too late, echoing Matthew’s contrast between the broad way and the life-giving way.

Preguntas frecuentes

Does “Judge not” mean Christians should never evaluate others?

The chapter condemns a censorious, self-righteous attitude. It still commands discernment, especially through the instruction to identify false prophets by their fruit.

What does the narrow gate signify?

It signifies the difficult, constricted path that leads to life, in contrast with the broad way that leads to destruction.

Why does Jesus contrast the wise and foolish builders?

The contrast makes hearing without obedience the decisive issue: the wise person acts on Jesus’ words, while the foolish person does not, and the difference appears under pressure.

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