Matthew 7:23

Matthew 7:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
• New International Version (NIV)Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
• English Standard Version (ESV)And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Context of Matthew 7:23

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On 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 many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 24“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock.

Matthew 7:23 word by word

καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς· ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• thenτότεtote · thenG5119
• will I professὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Iγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• neverοὐδέποτεoudepote · neverG3763
• youσύsu · youG4771
• departἀποχωρέωapochōreō · to leaveG672
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• ye that workἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• iniquityἀνομίαanomia · lawlessnessG458

Cross-references for Matthew 7:23

• Matthew 25:12But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’
• John 10:14“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me –
• 2 Timothy 2:19However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”
• Matthew 25:41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!
• Psalms 5:5Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who behave wickedly.
• Psalms 6:8Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping!
• Luke 13:25Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’
• Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood!

Commentaries on Matthew 7:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Will I profess - , I will fully and plainly tell them, I never knew you - I never approved of you; for so the word is used in many places, both in the Old and New Testaments. You held the truth in unrighteousness, while you preached my pure and holy doctrine; and for the sake of my own truth, and through my love to the souls of men, I blessed your preaching; but yourselves I could never esteem, because you were destitute of the spirit of my Gospel, unholy…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Profess unto them - Say unto them; plainly declare. I never knew you - That is, I never approved of your conduct; never loved you; never regarded you as my friends. See Psalm 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Corinthians 8:3. This proves that, with all their pretensions, they had never been true followers of Christ. Jesus will not then say to false prophets and false professors of religion that he had once known them and then rejected them; that they had been once…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. 23I never knew you: These people were never truly converted, even though they did great works in the name of God. They refused to follow the Father's will as taught by Jesus, and they continued to break Gods commands. Because they never knew Christ, they never learned to do what he commanded.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. And then will I profess unto them--or, openly proclaim--tearing off the mask. I never knew you--What they claimed--intimacy with Christ--is just what He repudiates, and with a certain scornful dignity. "Our acquaintance was not broken off--there never was any." depart from me--(Compare Mt 25:41). The connection here gives these words an awful significance. They claimed intimacy with Christ, and in the corresponding passage, Lu 13:26, are represented…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 7:23

• Commandments
• Confession
• Hypocrisy
• Judgment
• Minister, Christian
• Quotations and Allusions
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Self-Delusion
• Self-Righteousness
• Sin
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

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

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