“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is emphasizing that genuine goodness and corruption are inherent qualities, not just outward performances. Just as a healthy tree can't produce rotten fruit, a truly righteous person cannot consistently act wickedly, revealing that inner character determines outward actions.
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just spoken about the dangers of hypocrisy, contrasting those who notice specks in others' eyes while ignoring logs in their own. He then uses this analogy to show that truly good people naturally produce good actions, while those with corrupt hearts inevitably produce bad fruit, proving their true nature by their deeds.
Jesus uses a powerful, everyday image to explain a profound spiritual truth. It’s not just about what we do, but what we are.
Jesus compares our inner selves to trees and our actions and words to the fruit they bear. He makes a clear, unshakeable connection: a healthy, good tree cannot produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit.
This isn't about occasional slip-ups; it's about the consistent, natural output of our inner life. The fruit isn't an accident; it's evidence of the tree's true nature. This means our actions and words are not isolated events but reveal the deep-down reality of our hearts.
Jesus cuts through any pretense. He’s not interested in a flashy display of 'goodness' that doesn't match the inner reality.
This teaching addresses hypocrisy head-on. You can't fake a good tree. Someone might try to act like a good tree, producing what looks like good fruit for a while, but eventually, the true nature of the tree will show. Likewise, someone with a truly good inner life won't consistently produce rotten fruit.
Jesus is calling for authenticity. True discipleship isn't about performing good deeds to appear good; it's about having a genuinely good heart that naturally produces good fruit as a result. The 'fruit' includes not just actions, but also our teaching, our attitudes, and the overall impact we have on others.
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karpos · Greek Noun
That which is produced or yielded; the outward expression or consequence of one's internal nature. Biblically, fruit represents the visible evidence—whether righteous or sinful—of an individual's spiritual state.
This passage directly parallels Luke 6:43, using the same tree-and-fruit analogy to illustrate that genuine goodness produces good actions, and inherent corruption produces bad ones.
Matthew 12:33Jesus explicitly states that a tree is known by its fruit, reinforcing the idea that a person's true character is revealed by their deeds, just as a tree's nature is evident from what it produces.
Jeremiah 17:9This verse describes the deceitfulness and wickedness of the human heart, providing the foundational understanding of the 'bad tree' from which corrupt fruit originates.
Galatians 5:19-23This passage contrasts the 'works of the flesh' (bad fruit) with the 'fruit of the Spirit' (good fruit), showing the tangible outcomes of living according to our sinful nature versus living by God's Spirit.
calvinLuke 6:43-45: "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
- But beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16. From their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17. So every good tree yields good fruits, and a rotten tree yields bad fruits. 18. A good tree cannot yield evil fruits, nor can a rotten tree yield good fruits. 19. Every tre…
jfbLuke 6:12-49: "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
Lu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles Chosen—Gathering Multitudes—Glorious Healing.12, 13. went out—probably from Capernaum.all night in prayer … and when … day, he called, &c.—The work with which the next day began shows what had been the burden of this night's devotions. As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending themselves forth (see on…
Jesus is emphasizing that genuine goodness and corruption are inherent qualities, not just outward performances. Just as a healthy tree can't produce rotten fruit, a truly righteous person cannot consistently act wickedly, revealing that inner character determines outward actions.
Jesus has just spoken about the dangers of hypocrisy, contrasting those who notice specks in others' eyes while ignoring logs in their own. He then uses this analogy to show that truly good people naturally produce good actions, while those with corrupt hearts inevitably produce bad fruit, proving their true nature by their deeds.
Jesus has just spoken about the dangers of hypocrisy, contrasting those who notice specks in others' eyes while ignoring logs in their own. He then uses this analogy to show that truly good people naturally produce good actions, while those with corrupt hearts inevitably produce bad fruit, proving their true nature by their deeds.
"“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit," — Jesus is emphasizing that genuine goodness and corruption are inherent qualities, not just outward performances. Just as a healthy tree can't produce rotten fruit, a truly righteous person cannot con…
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Last reviewed October 2026