▁Version ; ▁other ▁transl ations ▁use ▁different ▁words , ▁e . g . ▁the ▁New ▁International ▁Version ▁uses ▁" spe ck ▁( of ▁saw d ust )" ▁and ▁" pl ank ". ▁In ▁twenty - first ▁century ▁English ▁a ▁" m ote " ▁is ▁more ▁normally ▁a ▁particle ▁of ▁dust ▁– ▁particularly ▁one ▁that ▁is ▁floating ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁– ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁tiny ▁spl inter ▁of ▁wood . ▁The ▁anal ogy ▁is ▁suggest ive ▁of ▁a ▁car p enter ' s ▁work shop , ▁with ▁which ▁Jesus ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁familiar . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁anal ogy , ▁the ▁one ▁seeking ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁imped iment ▁in ▁the ▁eye ▁of ▁his ▁brother ▁has ▁the ▁larger ▁imped iment ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁eye , ▁suggesting ▁met ap hor ically ▁that ▁the ▁one ▁who ▁attempts ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁his ▁brother ▁often ▁displays ▁the ▁greater ▁blind ness ▁and ▁hyp oc ris y . ▁ ▁A ▁pro verb ▁of ▁this ▁sort ▁was ▁familiar ▁to ▁the ▁Jews ▁and ▁appears ▁in ▁numerous ▁other ▁cult ures ▁too , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Latin ▁pro verb ▁of ▁later ▁Roman ▁days ▁referenced ▁by ▁A then ag or as ▁of ▁Ath ens , ▁mer et rix ▁p ud ic am . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Jesus ▁and ▁the ▁woman ▁taken ▁in ▁ad ul tery ▁Phys ician , ▁he al ▁th ys elf ▁The ▁pot ▁calling ▁the ▁k ett le ▁black ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : H yp oc ris y ▁Category : J ud gment ▁in ▁Christian ity ▁Category : Par ables ▁of ▁Jesus