Matthew 7:2

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Those being trained toward piety put the bridle of good thought on the tongue, allowing it to speak only what does no harm. Teaching us this, one of the wise said: “Child, if you have a word of understanding, answer; if not, let a hand be on your mouth.” (Sirach 5:12) For “death and life are in the hand of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) — that is, in its power — “and those who master it will eat its fruits.”

And since mastering the tongue is not very easy, the psalmist also teaches us from above: “Set a guard, Lord, on my mouth.” (Psalm 141:3) So let us not speak against one another or condemn the brothers (Matthew 7:1–2). The one steered by understanding does not look at others’ sins, but gazing at his own evils drops a good tear over them, that he may receive forgiveness from God.

It is impossible for humans, weak as we are, not to fall into a few absurdities at all. Not falling at all belongs by nature to God alone. We who are in sins must not delight in others’ evils, but take thought how we ourselves may get outside what is base.

Greek

Οἱ πρὸς εὐλάβειαν παιδαγωγούμενοι τὸν ἐξ ἀγαθῆς φρονήσεως χαλινὸν ἐπιφέρουσι τῇ γλώσσῃ ἐκεῖνα μόνα λαλεῖν ἐπιτρέποντες, ὅσα οὐ βλάπτει. τοῦτο διδάσκων τις ἡμᾶς τῶν σοφῶν ἔλεγεν· τέκνον, "εἰ" μέν "ἐστίν σοι" λόγος "συνέσεως, ἀποκρίθητι· εἰ δὲ μή, χεὶρ ἔστω ἐπὶ στό ματί σου". "θάνατος" γὰρ "καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης", τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ, "οἱ δὲ κρατοῦντες αὐτῆς ἔδονται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς". ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ γλώσσης κρατῆσαι οὐ σφόδρα ἐστὶν εὐχερές, ἄνωθεν καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς διδάσκει λέγων· "θοῦ, κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου". μὴ καταλαλῶμεν τοιγαροῦν ἀλλήλων μηδὲ κατακρίνωμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ μὲν γὰρ συνέσει κυβερνώμενος οὐκ εἰς τὰς ἑτέρων ἁμαρτίας ὁρᾷ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐνατενίζων κακοῖς καλὸν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς καταστάζει δάκρυον, ἵνα κομίσηται τὴν ἄφεσιν παρὰ θεοῦ· ἀμήχανον γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας καὶ οὕτως ἀσθενεῖς μὴ πάντως ὀλίγοις περιπίπτειν ἀτοπήμασιν. τὸ δὲ μηδ' ὅλως περιπεσεῖν μόνῳ πρόσεστι κατὰ φύσιν τῷ θεῷ. ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀναγκαῖον τοὺς ὄντας ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, μὴ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἐφήδεσθαι κακοῖς, ἀλλὰ φροντίζειν, ὅπως ἂν αὐτοὶ τῶν φαύλων ἔξω γενώμεθα.

About this text

Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.

English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.

Witnesses

Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.