Matthew 7:16
New International Version
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

New Living Translation
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

English Standard Version
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Berean Standard Bible
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Berean Literal Bible
By their fruits you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

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

New King James Version
You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

New American Standard Bible
You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?

NASB 1995
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

NASB 1977
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?

Legacy Standard Bible
You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Amplified Bible
By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Christian Standard Bible
You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

American Standard Version
By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But by their fruit you will know them. Do they gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?

Contemporary English Version
You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

English Revised Version
By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You will know them by what they produce. "People don't pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they?

Good News Translation
You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs.

International Standard Version
You will know them by their fruit. Grapes aren't gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they?

Literal Standard Version
From their fruits you will know them; do [men] gather grapes from thorns? Or figs from thistles?

Majority Standard Bible
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

New American Bible
By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

NET Bible
You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?

New Revised Standard Version
You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?

New Heart English Bible
By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall know them by their fruits: Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles:

Weymouth New Testament
By their fruits you will easily recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from brambles?

World English Bible
By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?

Young's Literal Translation
From their fruits ye shall know them; do men gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Tree and its Fruit
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.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 24:13
As the old proverb says, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.' But my hand will never be against you.

Proverbs 20:11
Even a young man is known by his actions--whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Matthew 7:20
So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 12:33
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

Luke 6:43
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

Luke 6:44
For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,


Treasury of Scripture

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

shall.

Matthew 7:20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 12:33
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

2 Peter 2:10-18
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities…

Do.

Luke 6:43-45
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit…

James 3:12
Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

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Brambles Bunch Bushes Easily Figs Fruit Fruits Gather Gathered Grapes Pick Recognize Thistles Thorn Thornbushes Thorns
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Brambles Bunch Bushes Easily Figs Fruit Fruits Gather Gathered Grapes Pick Recognize Thistles Thorn Thornbushes Thorns
Matthew 7
1. Do Not Judge
7. Ask, Seek, Knock
13. Enter through the Narrow Gate
15. A Tree and Its Fruit
24. The Wise and the Foolish Builders
28. Jesus ends his sermon, and the people are astonished.














(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits.--The question, What are the fruits? is not directly answered. Those who attach most importance to the ethical side of religion, see in them the practical outcome of doctrine in life, character, and deeds. Others, who live in a constant dread of heresy, dwell on doctrines rather than acts as the "fruits" by which we are to discern the false teachers and the true. Good works, they say, may be but the sheep's clothing that hides the heretic wolf. The analogy of Scriptural language, and even of that of most theologians, the familiar phrases which speak of good works as the fruits of faith and the like, are, it is believed, entirely in favour of the former view. Still more decisive are the "fruits meet for repentance" of Matthew 3:8. We are to judge of the teaching of those who claim authority by the test of the measure in which, in the long-run, it promotes purity, peace, and holiness.

Verse 16. - Parallel passage: Luke 6:44. (For the first clause, cf also ver. 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. Ye shall come to know them to the full (ἐπιγνώσεσθε). (On the greater strength of the compound, vide Ellicott, 1 Corinthians 13:12.) Fruits. All considered separately (cf. vers. 17, 18, 20), but in ver. 19 as one whole (cf. Matthew 3:8, note). It is, however, just possible that here and in ver. 20 the plural points to fruit growing on different trees. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? The visible outgrowth reveals the nature of that which is within. Those who "profess to combine fellowship with God with the choice of darkness as their sphere of life "(Bishop Westcott, on the suggestive parallel 1 John 1:6) only show that within they are destitute of fellowship with God. Observe, Christ does not say, "Do thorns produce grapes," etc.? (cf. James 3:12), but "Do men gather?" i.e. he desires to bring out the way in which men ordinarily deal with productions external to themselves. You, my followers, ought to use that common sense in spiritual matters which men show in matters of everyday life. Thistles; apparently Centaurea calcitrapa, the common thistle of Palestine; in the plains the only fuel.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
By
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

fruit
καρπῶν (karpōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2590: Probably from the base of harpazo; fruit, literally or figuratively.

you will recognize
ἐπιγνώσεσθε (epignōsesthe)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1921: From epi and ginosko; to know upon some mark, i.e. Recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge.

them.
αὐτούς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

Are grapes gathered
συλλέγουσιν (syllegousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4816: To collect, gather. From sun and lego in its original sense; to collect.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

thornbushes,
ἀκανθῶν (akanthōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 173: A thorn-bush, prickly plant; a thorn. Probably from the same as akmen; a thorn.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

figs
σῦκα (syka)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4810: A (ripe) fig. Apparently a primary word; a fig.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

thistles?
τριβόλων (tribolōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5146: A thistle. From treis and belos; properly, a crow-foot, i.e. a thorny plant.


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