Berean Standard Bible
Matthew 7:21
21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 7:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Context of Matthew 7:21
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Read all of Matthew 7Matthew 7:21 word by word
Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι· κύριε κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.Read the interlinear
- Notοὐou · noG3756
- everyoneπᾶςpas · allG3956
- whoὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- saysλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- to Meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- will enterεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- will enterεἰςeis · towardG1519
- kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- but onlyἀλλάalla · butG235
- doesποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
- Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
Cross-references for Matthew 7:21
- Matthew 25:11Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’
- Hosea 8:2Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!”
- Luke 6:46Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?
- Luke 13:25After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
- Acts 19:13Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
- Romans 2:13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
- James 1:22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- James 2:20O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
- Matthew 18:3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 19:24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- Matthew 21:31Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
- Isaiah 48:1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness—
- Mark 9:47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
- Mark 10:23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
- Luke 18:25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- John 3:5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Commentaries on Matthew 7:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Not every one - , a Hebraism, say some, for no person. It is a Graecism and a Latinism too: , not All of the gods, i.e. not Any of the gods, Hom. Odyss. Z. 240. So Terence Sine omni periclo, without All danger, i.e. without Any danger. And Juvenal: Sine omni labe, without All imperfection, i.e. without Any. See more in Mr. Wakefield. The sense of this verse seems to be this: No person, by merely acknowledging my authority, believing in the Divinity of my…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Not every one that saith - The Saviour goes on to say that many, on the ground of a mere profession such as he had just referred to, would claim admittance into his kingdom. Many would plead that they had done miracles, and preached or prophesied much, and on the ground of that would demand an entrance into heaven. The power of working miracles had no necessary connection with piety. God may as well, if he chooses, give the power of raising the dead to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. Let us take heed of resting in outward privileges and doings, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand. Let every…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The will of My Father: The teachings of Jesus show what the will of the Father is (see also 12:50; 21:28–32; Romans 2:13; James 1:22–27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord--the reduplication of the title "Lord" denoting zeal in according it to Christ (see Mr 14:45). Yet our Lord claims and expects this of all His disciples, as when He washed their feet: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am" (Joh 13:13). shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven--that will which it had been the great object of this…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 7:21
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
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