Modern Meaning
What Does “Cast the first stone” Mean?
To be the first to criticize when one is also guilty.
Biblical Origin
Where Does This Phrase Come From?
When the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, demanding she be stoned according to the law, Jesus challenged her accusers with this unforgettable reply. One by one, they walked away. The phrase became shorthand for hypocrisy in judgment.
The phrase appears in John 8:7 in the King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.
Usage Today
How Is It Used Today?
A rebuke to those who judge others while being imperfect themselves. "Before you criticize her choices, who are you to cast the first stone?"
The KJV Verse
John 8:7
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Related Phrases