Focused Passage

Matthew 7:15-23

Kingdom Discernment, the Narrow Way, and the Wise Builder

Matthew moves from humble judgment and self-examination, to prayerful dependence on the Father, to the Golden Rule, then to urgent warnings about the narrow way, false prophets, empty profession, and the need to build on Jesus' words.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered 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.

19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

BewareΠροσέχετεG4337Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralofἀπὸG575Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralfalse prophetsψευδοπροφητῶνG5578Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural[They]οἵτινεςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine PluralcomeἔρχονταιG2064Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person PluraltoπρὸςG4314PrepositionyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person PluralinἐνG1722Prepositionsheep’sπροβάτωνG4263Noun - Genitive Neuter PluralclothingἐνδύμασινG1742Noun - Dative Neuter PluralbutδέG1161ConjunctioninwardlyἔσωθενG2081Adverbthey areεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralravenousἅρπαγεςG727Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralwolvesλύκοιG3074Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 16

Original words

ByἀπὸG575Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluraltheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluralfruitκαρπῶνG2590Noun - Genitive Masculine Pluralyou will recognizeἐπιγνώσεσθεG1921Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person PluralthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural-μήτιG3385IntPrtclAre grapes gatheredσυλλέγουσινG4816Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural. . .σταφυλὰςG4718Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralfromἀπὸG575PrepositionthornbushesἀκανθῶνG173Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralorG2228ConjunctionfigsσῦκαG4810Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralfromἀπὸG575PrepositionthistlesτριβόλωνG5146Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 17

Original words

LikewiseοὕτωςG3779AdverbeveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulargoodἀγαθὸνG18Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulartreeδένδρονG1186Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularbearsποιεῖG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulargoodκαλοὺςG2570Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralfruitκαρποὺςG2590Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularbutδὲG1161Conjunctiona badσαπρὸνG4550Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulartreeδένδρονG1186Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularbearsποιεῖG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularbadπονηροὺςG4190Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralfruitκαρποὺςG2590Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 18

Original words

[A] goodἀγαθὸνG18Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulartreeδένδρονG1186Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularcannotδύναταιG1410Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular. . .οὐG3756Adverbbearποιεῖν*G4160Verb - Present Infinitive ActivebadπονηροὺςG4190Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralfruitκαρποὺςG2590Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural[and a] badσαπρὸνG4550Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulartreeδένδρονG1186Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularcannotοὐδὲG3761Conjunctionbearποιεῖν*G4160Verb - Present Infinitive ActivegoodκαλοὺςG2570Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralfruitκαρποὺςG2590Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 19

Original words

EveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingulartreeδένδρονG1186Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbthat does not bearποιοῦνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter SingulargoodκαλὸνG2570Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularfruitκαρπὸνG2590Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularis cut downἐκκόπτεταιG1581Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthrownβάλλεταιG906Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularintoεἰςG1519Preposition[the] fireπῦρG4442Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 20

Original words

So thenἄρα¦γεG686ParticlebyἀπὸG575Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluraltheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluralfruitκαρπῶνG2590Noun - Genitive Masculine Pluralyou will recognizeἐπιγνώσεσθεG1921Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person PluralthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 21

Original words

NotΟὐG3756AdverbeveryoneπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularsaysλέγωνG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularto MeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine Singularwill enterεἰσελεύσεταιG1525Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularkingdomβασιλείανG932Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularofτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralheavenοὐρανῶνG3772Noun - Genitive Masculine Pluralbut onlyἀλλ’G235Conjunctionhe whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulardoesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularwillθέλημαG2307Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof MyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularFatherΠατρόςG3962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralheavenοὐρανοῖςG3772Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 22

Original words

ManyπολλοὶG4183Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralwill sayἐροῦσίνG2046Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralto MeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person SingularonἐνG1722PrepositionthatἐκείνῃG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingulardayἡμέρᾳG2250Noun - Dative Feminine SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine Singulardid we not prophesyἐπροφητεύσαμενG4395Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural. . .οὐG3756AdverbinτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularYourσῷG4674Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person SingularnameὀνόματιG3686Noun - Dative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[in]τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularYourσῷG4674Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person SingularnameὀνόματιG3686Noun - Dative Neuter Singulardrive outἐξεβάλομενG1544Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person PluraldemonsδαιμόνιαG1140Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter Singular-σῷG4674Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 2nd Person Singular-ὀνόματιG3686Noun - Dative Neuter SingularperformἐποιήσαμενG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralmanyπολλὰςG4183Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluralmiraclesδυνάμειςG1411Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Verse 23

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionThenτότεG5119AdverbI will tell them plainlyὁμολογήσωG3670Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionI never knewἔγνωνG1097Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .ΟὐδέποτεG3763AdverbyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person PluraldepartἀποχωρεῖτεG672Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Pluralfromἀπ’G575PrepositionMeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular[you]οἱG3588Article - Vocative Masculine PluralworkersἐργαζόμενοιG2038Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Vocative Masculine Plural-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularof lawlessnessἀνομίανG458Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.