Matthew 7:16-17:23

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:15-20

The tree and its fruit. It is not enough for Christ to spread his own wholesome teaching; he must warn against the dangerous influence of bad teachers. Later in his ministry he had occasion to speak of the pretended shepherds, who were really thieves, or at best hirelings ( John 10:10 , John 10:12 ). Here his reference to the tree and its fruit is meant to be applied to the teacher and his work. It shows that he expects people to be watchful over those who assume to be their instructors.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:15-20

The branded false prophets. This passage brings us to the last but one of the great typical admonitions of this primaeval discourse in Christian ethics. Typical they must surely be regarded. Nor, as we scan them with ever so jealous eye, do we find it at all easy to make comparisons as to any imagined relative temporariness of application belonging to them, or the reverse. But if, on the contrary, we suffered ourselves for a moment to be the victims of mere plausible impression, and to court... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:15-23

Matthew only in this form, though most of the separate verses have much matter common to other passages; viz.: verses 16, 18, parallel with Luke 6:43 , Luke 6:44 , cf. also infra , Matthew 12:33 ; Matthew 12:19 , cf. Matthew 3:10 ; verse 21, cf. Luke 6:46 ; Luke 6:22 , cf. Luke 13:26 ; Luke 13:23 , parallel with Luke 13:27 . (For the connexion of these verses, cf. Luke 13:13 , note.) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:15-29

Sermon on the mount: 8. Wise and foolish builders. The righteousness required in God ' s kingdom is the subject of our Lord's teaching in this sermon. After contrasting this with various spurious forms of righteousness, he shows the ruin that results from false pretensions. This he does by means of three figures: 1 . The mere pretender is like a wolf in sheep's clothing; you cannot turn a wolf into a sheep by merely putting on it from the outside a fleece. 2 . Or he is like a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:16

Parallel passage: Luke 6:44 . (For the first clause, cf also Luke 6:20 and Matthew 12:33 .) Ye shall know them by their fruits . Their appearance and their claims are no proof of their true character. It may seem difficult to recognize this, yet there is a sure way of doing so, by their life. The emphasis of the sentence is on "by their fruits." Ye shall know. Y e shall come to know them to the full ( ἐπιγνώσεσθε ). (On the greater strength of the compound, vide Ellicott, 1... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 7:16

Ye shall know them by their fruits - The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. So of pretensions to religion. The profession may be fair; but the “conduct”... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 7:15-16

Matthew 7:15-16. Beware of false prophets Who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false prophets who teach any other way than that which our Lord hath here marked out. Who come to you in sheep’s clothing With a form of godliness and fair professions of love; but inwardly they are ravening wolves Not feeding but destroying... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:13-29

45. The two ways (Matthew 7:13-29; Luke 6:43-49)There are two ways of life. One is the easy way of pleasing self, which most choose and which leads to destruction. The other is the narrow way of denying self for Jesus’ sake, which leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).One reason why many do not follow the narrow way is that they are deceived by those who teach their own views on how people can find meaning in life. Their teaching at first sounds reasonable, but in the end it proves to be destructive.... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 7:16

Ye shall know. Note the Figure of speech Epanadiplosis ( App-6 ). See Matthew 7:20 . know = fully know and recognize. See App-132 . by = from. Gr apo. Do men, &c. Figure of speech Erotesis , for emphasis. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 7:16-20

Matthew 7:16-20. Ye shall know them by their fruits— That is, by the evil tendency of their doctrines, as well as by the immorality of their lives. Compare 1 John 4:1. 1 Corinthians 13:3. What follows seems to be a kind of proverb, and there occur in heathen authors many similar sayings. Several commentators are of opinion, that the fruits here referred to are rather the nature and tendency of the doctrine, than the actions of the false teacher's lives; but I rather think that our Lord here... read more

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