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?
• 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?
• New Living Translation (NLT)You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Context of Matthew 7:16

14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear 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 7:20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
• Matthew 12:33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
• 2 Peter 2:10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;
• Jude 1:10Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
• Luke 6:43“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
• James 3:12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh 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