δοκός

a beam

Definition

The Greek word δοκός refers to a large, heavy beam of timber, typically used in construction to support a roof or floor. In the New Testament, it is used exclusively in a metaphorical sense within Jesus' teaching about hypocrisy. Specifically, it denotes a major fault or moral failing in oneself that one ignores while criticizing minor faults in others, as illustrated in the vivid imagery of Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42. The 'beam' represents a significant, obstructive sin that blinds a person to their own spiritual condition.

Biblical Usage

This word appears only in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke) and is used in an identical, proverbial context each time. Jesus employs it in his Sermon on the Mount/Plain to criticize hypocritical judgment. The pattern is consistent: he contrasts the 'beam' (δοκός) in one's own eye with the 'speck' (κάρφος) in another's eye (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42). Its usage is entirely figurative, creating a memorable and hyperbolic picture for a moral lesson.

Etymology

Derived from the verb δέχομαι (dechomai, G1209), meaning 'to receive' or 'to take.' The noun δοκός originally meant something that 'bears' or 'supports' a weight, hence a beam or rafter. This sense of bearing a load connects to its metaphorical use for a burdensome sin.

Semantic Range

This word is central to Jesus' teaching on self-examination, humility, and authentic discipleship. It underscores the doctrine of human sinfulness and the hypocrisy of focusing on others' sins while being blind to one's own greater failures. Understanding the Greek emphasizes the absurdity of the contrast—a massive structural beam versus a tiny wood splinter—deepening the call for introspection before judgment and highlighting the necessity of grace in dealing with sin.

In first-century Palestinian construction, large wooden beams were essential, costly structural components of homes, often made from local timber. The exaggerated image of a person walking around with a roof beam in their eye would have been immediately understood as ridiculous and impossible, making Jesus' point about spiritual blindness both humorous and powerfully convicting to his original audience.

ξύλον (xylon, G3586) — A more general term for wood, timber, or even a club or stocks; does not carry the specific connotation of a large, structural support beam. κάρφος (karphos, G2595) — Specifically a tiny piece of straw, chaff, or splinter; used in direct contrast to δοκός in the same passages to denote a minor fault.

Word Details

Scripture References