δοκός

Pronunciation Guide: DOH-koss (δό-κός)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1385: The Greek word δοκός (dokos) refers to a large wooden beam or load-bearing timber used in construction, particularly as a supporting structure in ancient buildings. In the New Testament, Yeshua (Jesus) employs this term metaphorically in His teaching about judgment and hypocrisy, contrasting the “beam” in one’s own eye with the “speck” in another’s eye. This powerful imagery illustrates self-deception and the human tendency to magnify others’ faults while minimizing our own.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Noun (feminine)
• Root: Possibly related to δέχομαι (dechomai, “to receive”), as a beam “receives” or bears weight
• Language Origin: Classical Greek
• Primary Usage: Found in parabolic/metaphorical teaching passages in the Gospels
• Grammatical Category: Common noun

δοκός Morphology:

• δοκός (nominative singular) – a beam, plank
• δοκοῦ (genitive singular) – of a beam
• δοκῷ (dative singular) – with/in a beam
• δοκόν (accusative singular) – a beam (direct object)
• δοκοί (nominative plural) – beams
• δοκῶν (genitive plural) – of beams

Origin & History

The word δοκός has ancient roots in classical Greek literature, where it consistently referred to substantial wooden beams used in building construction. In works like Homer’s Odyssey (8th century BCE), the term appears in descriptions of architectural elements. For example, in Odyssey 22:176, Homer uses δοκός when describing the rafters of Odysseus’ hall.

In the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures completed around the 2nd century BCE, δοκός appears in passages such as 2 Kings 6:2-5 (4 Kingdoms in the LXX) where it describes the beams the prophets intended to cut to expand their living quarters. This usage maintains the literal meaning of substantial wooden construction material. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, also employs the term in his Antiquities when describing Solomon’s temple construction, highlighting the continued architectural significance of the term throughout Jewish history.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• Primary structural support – A load-bearing beam used in building construction
• Large wooden plank – A substantial piece of finished lumber
• Metaphorical obstacle to perception – A symbolic impediment to spiritual sight or self-awareness
• Symbol of hypocrisy – A representation of one’s own substantial faults that are ignored while criticizing others

δοκός Translation Options:

• Beam – The most common English translation, capturing the substantial size of the object
• Plank – Emphasizes the finished, processed nature of the timber
• Rafter – Specifies the architectural function, though potentially narrower than the original meaning
• Log – Conveys the substantial size while being more familiar to modern readers
• Joist – Technical term that accurately reflects the load-bearing function but may be less accessible

Biblical Usage

The term δοκός appears exclusively in Yeshua’s teaching about judgment and hypocrisy in the Synoptic Gospels. The Messiah introduces this powerful visual metaphor to illustrate the absurdity of criticizing others while being blind to one’s own greater faults. The image is deliberately exaggerated—picturing someone with an enormous wooden beam protruding from their eye attempting to perform delicate eye surgery to remove a tiny speck from another person’s eye. This hyperbole serves to make the teaching memorable and emphasizes the severity of self-righteousness and hypocrisy.

This teaching appears in both Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount and Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, suggesting its central importance in Yeshua’s ethical instruction. The imagery draws on Jewish traditions of using exaggerated contrasts to make moral points, a technique found throughout rabbinic literature.

• “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the beam [δοκός] that is in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3
• “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the beam [δοκός] that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42
• “You hypocrite, first take the beam [δοκός] out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:5

Cultural Insights

In the first-century Holy Land, construction techniques relied heavily on wooden beams as primary structural supports, particularly in larger buildings. These beams were precious commodities in the relatively timber-poor region of Judea. Cedar beams were often imported at great expense from Lebanon for significant buildings (as with Solomon’s Temple), while local sycamore or oak might be used in simpler structures. The average home would have visible ceiling beams supporting the flat roof, making this image immediately recognizable to Yeshua’s audience.

The absurdity of the image would have been particularly striking in a culture where eye ailments were common due to the dusty environment, bright sunlight, and limited medical care. Minor eye irritations often required the help of another person to examine and treat. For someone to attempt such a delicate procedure while having a massive beam in their own eye created a memorably ridiculous picture that underscored the blindness of self-righteousness. This teaching also connects to the Hebrew concept of “ayin ra’ah” (evil eye) and “ayin tovah” (good eye), which in Jewish thought represented not just vision but one’s entire perspective and attitude toward others.

Theological Significance

The δοκός metaphor cuts to the heart of true righteousness versus self-righteousness in the Kingdom of God. When Yeshua introduces this imagery, He confronts the human tendency toward self-deception that has existed since Eden—the capacity to minimize our own failings while magnifying others’. This teaching reveals יהוה’s (Yahweh’s) desire for His people to practice genuine self-examination before presuming to correct others.

This principle aligns with Yeshua’s broader message that true righteousness begins with honest acknowledgment of one’s own spiritual need. The “beam” represents not merely individual sins but entire systems of self-justification and spiritual blindness that prevent us from seeing ourselves—and others—as God sees us. The instruction to “first take the beam out of your own eye” establishes a divine order of spiritual transformation: genuine repentance precedes righteous influence.

Moreover, this teaching reflects God’s heart for both justice and mercy. The Judge of all the earth calls His people to just judgment (Deuteronomy 16:18-20), yet such judgment must begin with humility and self-awareness. The δοκός teaching demonstrates that God’s righteousness is never separate from His mercy, as true righteousness leads us to extend to others the same grace we ourselves require.

Personal Application

The δοκός metaphor invites us into a transformative practice of spiritual self-awareness. Rather than seeing Yeshua’s words as merely a rebuke against criticism, we might embrace them as an invitation to freedom—freedom from the blindness of self-righteousness and the burden of judging others. When we honestly acknowledge the “beams” in our own lives—whether they be pride, unforgiveness, materialism, or other significant barriers to spiritual sight—we create space for God’s healing work within us.

This teaching calls us to establish a rhythm of self-examination before engaging in correction of others. Before addressing a friend’s theology, a child’s behavior, or a colleague’s ethics, we might pause to ask: “What comparable issue might I be overlooking in myself? What blinds me to my own needs for growth in this area?” Such reflection doesn’t paralyze us from all discernment but rather ensures that our influence flows from humility rather than hypocrisy. The removal of our own “beam” doesn’t just benefit us; it equips us to help others with gentleness and clarity born of authentic experience.

Related Words

• κάρφος (karphos, pronounced KAR-foss) – The “speck” or “splinter” contrasted with the δοκός; a tiny piece of wood, straw, or other material that might irritate the eye. Represents minor faults that we readily notice in others. See G2595
• τυφλός (typhlos, pronounced toof-LOS) – Literally “blind,” often used by Yeshua to describe spiritual blindness, particularly of religious leaders who, like those with the δοκός, cannot see their own condition. See G5185
• ὑποκριτής (hypokrites, pronounced hoo-pok-ree-TACE) – “Hypocrite,” the specific term Yeshua uses to describe those who focus on others’ specks while ignoring their own beams; originally referred to actors wearing masks. See G5273
• διαβλέπω (diablepo, pronounced dee-ah-BLEP-oh) – The verb meaning “to see clearly” that becomes possible only after removing the δοκός; implies thorough, penetrating sight. See G1227
• κρίνω (krino, pronounced KREE-no) – “To judge” or “to decide,” the action that Yeshua is addressing when He introduces the δοκός metaphor; related to the broader teaching on judgment. See G2919

Did You Know?

• The word δοκός specifically referred to processed wooden beams rather than natural logs or branches, implying that the “beam” in one’s eye is not just a naturally occurring problem but something manufactured or constructed over time—much like how our self-deceptions and hypocrisies are often carefully built and maintained systems of thought rather than simple mistakes.
• Ancient Mediterranean construction relied heavily on wooden beams as horizontal supports across stone walls. In Yeshua’s time, a typical beam might measure 8-10 inches thick and several feet long—making the absurdity of the metaphor even more striking to His first-century audience. Imagine trying to function, let alone perform delicate eye surgery, with such an enormous object protruding from your face!
• The δοκός teaching has parallels in rabbinic literature. For example, the Talmud (b. Bava Batra 15b) records Rabbi Yochanan saying, “What is the meaning of the verse (Job 27:5): ‘Far be it from me to justify you’? Rabbi Yochanan said: As a splinter in the eye of one person, so is a beam in the eye of another.” While the interpretation differs somewhat from Yeshua’s usage, it shows how the imagery of eye obstructions resonated within Jewish teaching traditions.

Remember This

The δοκός in your own eye is not just something to be removed—it’s an invitation to the transformative humility that allows you to truly see as the Messiah sees.