Matius 7:15-23

A Tree and Its Fruit

7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. ¹  7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered ²  from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? ³  7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad ⁴  tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

Judgment of Pretenders

7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ⁵  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do ⁶  many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ ⁷ 

Matius 12:33-37

Trees and Their Fruit

12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad ⁸  and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 12:35 The good person ⁹  brings good things out of his ¹⁰  good treasury, ¹¹  and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 12:36 I ¹²  tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Lukas 6:43-45

6:43 “For ¹³  no good tree bears bad ¹⁴  fruit, nor again ¹⁵  does a bad tree bear good fruit, 6:44 for each tree is known ¹⁶  by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered ¹⁷  from thorns, nor are grapes picked ¹⁸  from brambles. ¹⁹  6:45 The good person out of the good treasury of his ²⁰  heart ²¹  produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury ²²  produces evil, for his mouth speaks ²³  from what fills ²⁴  his heart.

Lukas 13:26

13:26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁵ 

[7:15]  ¹ sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.

[7:16]  ² tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.

[7:16]  ³ sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.

[7:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

[7:21]  ⁵ sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[7:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”

[12:33]  ⁸ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

[12:35]  ⁹ tn The Greek text reads here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos). The term is generic referring to any person.

[12:35]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“his evil treasury”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[12:35]  ¹¹ sn The treasury here is a metaphorical reference to a person’s heart (cf. BDAG 456 s.v. θησαυρός 1.b and the parallel passage in Luke 6:45).

[12:36]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:43]  ¹³ tn The explanatory connective γάρ (gar) is often dropped from translations, but the point of the passage is that one should be self-corrective and be careful who one follows (vv. 41-42), because such choices also reflect what the nature of the tree is and its product.

[6:43]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “fruit” and “tree,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

[6:43]  ¹⁵ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C D Θ Ψ 33 Ï lat sy sa), lack the adverb πάλιν (palin, “again”) here. Its presence is attested, however, by several good witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B L W Ξ Ë^1,13 579 892 1241 2542).

[6:44]  ¹⁶ sn The principle of the passage is that one produces what one is.

[6:44]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “they do not gather”; this has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.

[6:44]  ¹⁸ tn This is a different verb (τρυγῶσιν, trugwsin) for gathering from the previous one (συλλέγουσιν, sullegousin).

[6:44]  ¹⁹ tn This is a different term (βάτος, batos) for a thorn or bramble bush than the previous one (ἄκανθα, akanqa).

[6:44]  sn The statement nor are grapes picked from brambles illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit, does not produce fruit.

[6:45]  ²⁰ tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“out of the evil”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[6:45]  ²¹ sn Mention of the heart shows that Jesus is not interested in what is done, but why. Motives are more important than actions for him.

[6:45]  ²² tn The word “treasury” is not repeated in the Greek text at this point, but is implied.

[6:45]  ²³ sn What one utters from one’s mouth is especially singled out as the example of this principle. James seems to have known this teaching (Jas 1:26; 3:1-12).

[6:45]  ²⁴ tn Grk “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

[13:26]  ²⁵ sn This term refers to wide streets, and thus suggests the major streets of a city.