Matthew 7:16

Matthew 7:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
• New International Version (NIV)By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
• English Standard Version (ESV)You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
• New King James Version (NKJV)You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Context of Matthew 7:16

14It is difficult to go through the small gate. And it is difficult to walk on the narrow road. But when you do go that way, you will get true life. Not many people find that narrow gate.’ 15‘Some people say that they are prophets from God. But their words are false. They seem to be like sheep that are not dangerous. But they are really like hungry wild dogs. What they teach will hurt you. You will know these people by the way that they live. The things that they do are like their fruit. Grapes do not grow on thorn bushes. Figs do not grow on weeds. 17Good fruit grows on a tree that is good. Bad fruit grows on a tree that is not good. 18A good tree cannot make bad fruit. A bad tree cannot make good fruit.

Matthew 7:16 word by word

ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. μήτι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλάς, ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye shall knowἐπιγινώσκωepiginōskō · to come to knowG1921
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• byἀπόapo · away fromG575
• fruitsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fruitsκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
• Doμήτιmēti · surely notG3385
• men gatherσυλλέγωsullegō · to collectG4816
• grapesσταφυλήstaphulē · grapesG4718
• thornsἄκανθαakantha · a thornG173
• orἤē · orG2228
• figsσῦκονsukon · figG4810
• thistlesτρίβολοςtribolos · thistleG5146

Cross-references for Matthew 7:16

• Matthew 7:20In the same way, look at the way people live. Then you will know what they are really like.
• Matthew 12:33Then Jesus said, ‘To have good fruit you must have a good tree. If you have a bad tree, then you will get bad fruit from it. You can know all about a tree by the kind of fruit that it makes.
• 2 Peter 2:10God will certainly punish those people who want bad things for themselves. They do the wrong things that their bodies want to do. They do not want to obey anyone's authority. These false teachers are not afraid of what other people think about them. They think that they themselves are very important. They are not afraid to say many bad things against the great angels in heaven.
• Jude 1:10But these false teachers speak bad things against anything that they do not understand. They are like animals that cannot think properly. They just do the things that their nature causes them to do. Those are the things that are destroying them.
• Luke 6:43Jesus said, ‘Good trees only make good fruit. Bad trees only make bad fruit.
• James 3:12A fig tree cannot give olives, my friends. A vine for grapes cannot give figs. And a salty spring cannot give sweet water.

Commentaries on Matthew 7:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits - Fruits, in the Scripture and Jewish phraseology, are taken for works of any kind. "A man's works," says one, "are the tongue of his heart, and tell honestly whether he is inwardly corrupt or pure." By these works you may distinguish ( ) these ravenous wolves from true pastors. The judgment formed of a man by his general conduct is a safe one: if the judgment be not favorable to the person, that is his fault, as you…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits - The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. So of pretensions to religion. 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. 16-17Good fruit and bad fruit symbolize moral behavior (see Matthew 3:8, 10; 12:33–37; 13:8; 21:43; Galatians 5:19–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Ye shall know them by their fruits--not their doctrines--as many of the elder interpreters and some later ones explain it--for that corresponds to the tree itself; but the practical effect of their teaching, which is the proper fruit of the tree. Do men gather grapes of thorns--any kind of prickly plant. or figs of thistles?--a three-pronged variety. The general sense is obvious--Every tree bears its own fruit.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 7:16

• Botany
• Commandments
• Religion
• Righteous
• Thistle

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Brier
• Descend
• Destruction
• Gather
• Judge
• Measure
• Mote
• None
• Profess

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