Matthew 7:15

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

13“Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. 14But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate. “Beware of false prophets. They come to you disguised as sheep, but in their hearts they are vicious wolves. 16You will know them by what they produce. “People don’t pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they? 17In the same way every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit.

Matthew 7:15 word by word

Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Bewareπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• false prophetsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• false prophetsψευδοπροφήτηςpseudoprophētēs · false prophetG5578
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• youσύsu · youG4771
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• sheep’sπρόβατονprobaton · sheepG4263
• clothingἔνδυμαenduma · clothingG1742
• inwardlyἔσωθενesōthen · inwardlyG2081
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• raveningἅρπαξharpax · rapaciousG727
• wolvesλύκοςlukos · wolfG3074

Cross-references for Matthew 7:15

• Matthew 10:17Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues.
• Matthew 16:6Jesus said to them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
• Mark 12:38As he taught, he said, “Watch out for the experts in Moses’ Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,
• Luke 12:15He told the people, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.”
• Acts 13:40“Be careful, or what the prophets said may happen to you.
• Philippians 3:2Beware of dogs! Beware of those who do evil things. Beware of those who insist on circumcision.
• Colossians 2:8Be careful not to let anyone rob you ⌞of this faith⌟ through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.
• 2 Peter 3:17Dear friends, you already know these things. So be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of people who have no principles. Then you won’t fall from your firm position.
• Matthew 24:4Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you.
• Deuteronomy 13:1One of your people, claiming to be a prophet or to have prophetic dreams, may predict a miraculous sign or an amazing thing.
• Isaiah 9:15Respected and honored leaders are the head. Prophets who teach lies are the tail.
• Jeremiah 14:14Then the Lord told me, “These are the lies that the prophets are telling in my name: They claim that I sent them, commanded them, and spoke to them. They dreamed up the visions they tell you. Their predictions are worthless. They are the products of their own imagination.
• Jeremiah 23:13“⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Samaria: I saw something disgusting. The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
• Jeremiah 28:15Then Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Now listen, Hananiah, the Lord hasn’t sent you. You have made these people believe a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:21This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Kolaiah’s son Ahab and about Maaseiah’s son Zedekiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I’m going to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will kill them as you watch.
• Ezekiel 13:16The prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem are gone. Those who said that everything was alright, when it wasn’t alright, are gone, declares the Almighty Lord.” ’

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

• Commandments
• Hypocrisy
• Minister, Christian
• Religion
• Teachers
• Wolf

In the dictionaries

• False Prophets
• Ask
• 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