Matthew 7:16-18
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus challenges us to use our everyday sense: just as you wouldn't expect to find grapes on a thornbush, you shouldn't expect genuinely good "fruit"—actions and the overflow of a life—from someone whose character and teaching are inherently flawed. This means we're meant to look beyond impressive words or appearances and assess the actual results of a person's life.
Jesus has just warned his followers about the danger of false prophets, describing them as inwardly destructive "ravenous wolves" hiding in sheep's clothing. He emphasizes that these deceptive figures won't be obvious by their appearance or claims, so he provides a practical, observable test to discern their true nature. The verses that follow (17-20) elaborate on this by explaining how good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, connecting outward actions to inner character.
Jesus wants us to be wise, not easily fooled. He gives us a clear way to tell genuine messengers from deceptive ones. It's not about how fancy their words sound, but about something much more tangible.
Jesus uses a powerful metaphor here: fruit. What exactly does he mean by 'fruit'?
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Imagine reaching for a sweet grape, only to find thorns. Jesus uses this striking image to show that what's inside will always, eventually, show itself on the outside.
The core of Jesus's point is that true nature cannot be hidden forever.
Jesus doesn't expect us to be gullible. He calls us to use the same practical wisdom we apply in everyday life when discerning spiritual truth.
Jesus's analogy is a call to practical wisdom.
Understand the original words
epiginōskō · Greek Verb
To identify, distinguish, or perceive the nature of something or someone. In this context, it refers to the spiritual discernment required to identify true believers from false prophets.
karpos · Greek Noun
The external actions, character, or results produced by a person's life. In a theological sense, it refers to the evidence of the Holy Spirit's transforming work within a believer.
akantha · Greek Noun
A prickly or thorny plant; metaphorically used in Scripture to represent something worthless, unproductive, or indicative of the curse of the Fall.
tribolos · Greek Noun
A plant species noted for its prickly nature, often symbolic of unproductive labor or the consequences of living apart from God's blessing.
agathos · Greek Adjective
Used metaphorically to describe a person's inner moral or spiritual condition. A healthy tree represents a person regenerated by God, producing righteous deeds.
sapros · Greek Adjective
Refers to moral or spiritual corruption. In this context, it describes the inner state of those who are spiritually dead or hypocritical, inevitably resulting in sinful conduct.
This passage is a parallel account from Luke, stating that 'trees are known by their fruit.' It reinforces Jesus' consistent teaching on discerning truth by its tangible outcomes.
Matthew 12:33Jesus declares, 'Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad.' This highlights the inherent connection between a person's inner nature and their outward actions, just as Matthew 7:16 points out.
Galatians 5:22-23Paul lists the 'fruit of the Spirit' as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This shows the positive 'fruit' that a life aligned with God should produce, contrasting with the bad fruit of false teachers.
1 John 4:1John urges believers to 'test the spirits to see whether they are from God.' This command directly relates to Jesus' instruction in Matthew 7:16, emphasizing the need for discernment based on observable evidence.
vincentMatthew 7:16: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
Ye shall know (ἐπιγνώσεσθε)The compound verb indicates full knowledge. Character is satisfactorily tested by its fruits.
clarkeMatthew 7:16: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
Ye 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 (επιγνωσεσθε) these ravenous wolves from true pastors. The judgment formed of a man by his general conduct is a safe one: if…
Jesus challenges us to use our everyday sense: just as you wouldn't expect to find grapes on a thornbush, you shouldn't expect genuinely good "fruit"—actions and the overflow of a life—from someone whose character and teaching are inherently flawed. This means we're meant to look beyond impressive words or appearances and assess the actual results of a person's life.
Jesus has just warned his followers about the danger of false prophets, describing them as inwardly destructive "ravenous wolves" hiding in sheep's clothing. He emphasizes that these deceptive figures won't be obvious by their appearance or claims, so he provides a practical, observable test to discern their true nature. The verses that follow (17-20) elaborate on this by explaining how good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, connecting outward actions to inner character.
Jesus has just warned his followers about the danger of false prophets, describing them as inwardly destructive "ravenous wolves" hiding in sheep's clothing. He emphasizes that these deceptive figures won't be obvious by their appearance or claims, so he provides a practical, observable test to discern their true nature. The verses that follow (17-20) elaborate on this by explaining how good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, connecting outward actions to inner character.
"You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased…" — Jesus challenges us to use our everyday sense: just as you wouldn't expect to find grapes on a thornbush, you shouldn't expect genuinely good "fruit"—actions and the overflow of a life—from someone w…
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