Physician, Heal Thyself

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Physician, heal thyself (Greek: Ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν — Iatre, therapeuson seauton), sometimes quoted in the Latin form Medice, cura te ipsum, is a proverb found in Luke 4:23.

23 Then he said, "You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: 'Physician, heal yourself'—meaning, 'Do miracles here in your home town like those you did in Capernaum.'"

The usual interpretation of this passage is that, during the Rejection of Jesus, Jesus expected to hear natives of his home town of Nazareth use this phrase to criticize him.[1] Luke the Evangelist, to whom Christian tradition attributes the gospel, was himself a physician.[2]

The moral of the proverb is counsel to attend to one's own defects rather than criticizing defects in others,[3] a sentiment also expressed in the discourse on judgmentalism.

Similar proverbs can be found in other classical and Jewish literature.

"Physician, Physician, Heal thine own limp!" can be found in Genesis Rabbah 23:4.[5]
Freedman, H., Simon, Maurice. Midrash Rabbah, Translated into English., vol 1, pg 195