American Standard Version
Matthew 7:15
15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
Matthew 7:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
- New International Version (NIV)“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Context of Matthew 7:15
13Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 14For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Read all of Matthew 7Matthew 7:15 word by word
Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 7:15
- Matthew 10:17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you;
- Matthew 16:6And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
- Mark 12:38And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, andto have salutations in the marketplaces,
- Luke 12:15And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
- Acts 13:40Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:
- Philippians 3:2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:
- Colossians 2:8Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
- 2 Peter 3:17Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
- Matthew 24:4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
- Deuteronomy 13:1If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder,
- Isaiah 9:15The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
- Jeremiah 14:14Then Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart.
- Jeremiah 23:13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
- Jeremiah 28:15Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: Jehovah hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
- Jeremiah 29:21Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
- Ezekiel 13:16to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Commentaries on Matthew 7:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Beware of false prophets - By false prophets we are to understand teachers of erroneous doctrines, who come professing a commission from God, but whose aim is not to bring the heavenly treasure to the people, but rather to rob them of their earthly good. Teachers who preach for hire, having no motive to enter into the ministry but to get a living, as it is ominously called by some, however they may bear the garb and appearance of the innocent useful…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15False prophets - The word prophet originally means one who foretells future events. As prophets, however, were commonly regarded as public instructors on the subject of religion, the word came to denote all who were religious teachers. See the notes at Romans 12:6. In this sense it is probably used here. A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly laying claims to divine inspiration. It probably had reference to the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-20False prophets tell people what they want to hear instead of calling them to obey God's will. Deuteronomy 13:1–5 and 18:21–22 provide guidelines to determine if someone is a true prophet. A prophet's words must match with God's word, and a prophet's prophecies must come true. Jesus explains the first rule. A prophet's actions must match his words to be trustworthy. So, a true prophet's actions will also match God's word. In the same way that fruit shows…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Beware--But beware. of false prophets--that is, of teachers coming as authorized expounders of the mind of God and guides to heaven. (See Ac 20:29, 30; 2Pe 2:1, 2). which come to you in sheep's clothing--with a bland, gentle, plausible exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted--precisely what the old prophets did (Eze 13:1-10, 22). but inwardly they are ravening wolves--bent…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 7:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries