Matthew 7:16

If you look at the things these people do, you can find out if they are talking true words, or if they are liars.” Then Jesus told a picture story. He said, “Think about the trees that give us fruit to eat. We can’t get good fruit from rubbish trees. We can’t get grapes from rubbish plants.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

In Context

15Then Jesus told them, “Always be careful. Don’t believe everybody. There are some people that reckon they are telling you a message from God, but they are liars. They try to get you to think they are like sheep, like they are soft and will not give you any trouble. But really, they are like wild dingoes. They will give you trouble, like dingoes hurt sheep. If you believe their words, then you will get lots of trouble.

17Good fruit grows on a good tree. Rubbish fruit grows on a rubbish tree.

Read all of Matthew 7

Cross References

Jude 1:10But that liar mob say bad words about anything they don’t understand. They are like animals that can’t think properly. They just think about what makes their bodies feel good, and so they do bad things. And those things will wreck them.

Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:16-21

The Sermon on the Mount. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Matthew 7:16