Matthew 7:17

Matthew 7:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
• New International Version (NIV)Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
• New Living Translation (NLT)A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Context of Matthew 7:17

15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:17 word by word

οὕτως πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Even soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
• treeδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
• bringeth forthποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• fruitκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
• butδέde · thenG1161
• a corruptσαπρόςsapros · rottenG4550
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190

Cross-references for Matthew 7:17

• Psalms 1:3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
• Psalms 92:13Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
• Isaiah 5:3“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
• Isaiah 61:3To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
• Jeremiah 11:19But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
• Jeremiah 17:8For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
• Luke 13:6He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
• Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• Ephesians 5:9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
• Philippians 1:11being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
• Colossians 1:10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
• James 3:17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
• Matthew 12:33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
• Jude 1:12These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

Commentaries on Matthew 7:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17So every good tree - As the thorn can only produce thorns, not grapes; and the thistle, not figs, but prickles; so an unregenerate heart will produce fruits of degeneracy. As we perfectly know that a good tree will not produce bad fruit, and the bad tree will not, cannot produce good fruit, so we know that the profession of godliness, while the life is ungodly, is imposture, hypocrisy, and deceit. A man cannot be a saint and a sinner at the same time. Let…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17A corrupt tree - The word “corrupt” here does not signify, as our translation would seem to indicate, that the tree “had been” good, but had become “vitiated;” but that it was a tree of a useless character, of a nature that produced nothing beneficial.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. 1717. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 7:17

• Botany
• Character
• Commandments
• Depravity of Man
• Religion
• Righteous
• Sin

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