Matthew 7:20
New International Version
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

New Living Translation
Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

English Standard Version
Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Berean Standard Bible
So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Berean Literal Bible
Then surely by their fruits you will recognize them.

King James Bible
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

New King James Version
Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

New American Standard Bible
So then, you will know them by their fruits.

NASB 1995
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.

NASB 1977
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Legacy Standard Bible
So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Amplified Bible
Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

Christian Standard Bible
So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

American Standard Version
Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Contemporary English Version
You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.

English Revised Version
Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So you will know them by what they produce.

Good News Translation
So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.

International Standard Version
So by their fruit you will know them."

Majority Standard Bible
So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

NET Bible
So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them,

Weymouth New Testament
So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.

World English Bible
Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
therefore from their fruits you will know them.

Berean Literal Bible
Then surely by their fruits you will recognize them.

Young's Literal Translation
therefore from their fruits ye shall know them.

Smith's Literal Translation
Wherefore from their fruits shall ye know them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

New American Bible
So by their fruits you will know them.

New Revised Standard Version
Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thus by their fruits you will know them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore by their fruit you will know them.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.

Godbey New Testament
Therefore you shall know them perfectly by their fruits.

Haweis New Testament
Well then! by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mace New Testament
by their fruits then shall ye know them.

Weymouth New Testament
So by their fruits at any rate, you will easily recognize them.

Worrell New Testament
So then, from their fruits ye shall know them.

Worsley New Testament
So then by their fruits ye will know them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Tree and its 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.…

Cross References
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, / gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

James 3:12
My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. / The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

John 15:4-5
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. / I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:8
This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

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.

Romans 6:21-22
What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. / But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Ephesians 5:9
for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Philippians 1:11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...

Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.


Treasury of Scripture

Why by their fruits you shall know them.

Matthew 7:16
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Acts 5:38
And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

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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.














So then
This phrase serves as a conclusion or summary of the preceding teachings. In the context of Matthew 7, Jesus has been discussing false prophets and the importance of discerning true from false teachings. The Greek word "ἄραγε" (arage) implies a logical conclusion drawn from the evidence presented. It encourages the reader to reflect on the teachings of Jesus and apply them practically in their lives. This phrase sets the stage for the principle that follows, emphasizing the importance of discernment in the Christian life.

by their fruit
The term "fruit" (Greek: "καρπός" - karpos) is a metaphorical expression used throughout the Bible to denote the visible outcomes or results of one's actions and character. In the agricultural society of ancient Israel, fruit was a common symbol for productivity and health. Good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. This imagery is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, where fruit often symbolizes the results of one's life and relationship with God (e.g., Psalm 1:3, Jeremiah 17:8). In a spiritual sense, "fruit" refers to the qualities and actions that reflect a person's true nature and relationship with God, such as the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

you will recognize them
The Greek word for "recognize" is "ἐπιγνώσεσθε" (epignōsesthe), which implies a deep, thorough understanding or discernment. This is not a superficial observation but a profound insight into the true nature of individuals based on their actions and behaviors. In the historical context of Jesus' time, recognizing false prophets was crucial for the early Christian community to maintain doctrinal purity and spiritual integrity. This phrase underscores the importance of spiritual discernment, encouraging believers to evaluate teachings and leaders not by their words alone but by the tangible evidence of their lives. It is a call to wisdom and vigilance, ensuring that one's faith is grounded in truth and authenticity.

(20) Ye shall know them.--As before, in Matthew 7:16, the word is one which implies knowledge that is full, clear, decisive--such as that to which St. Paul looks forward in the life to come (1Corinthians 13:12).

Verse 20. - (Ver. 16, note.) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Wherefore (ἄραγε). Ver. 16a is restated, but now in "rigorous logical inference" (Winer, § 53:8. a) from vers. 16b - 18. Since it is a certainty that fruit is the result of inner nature, you shall from these men's fruits fully learn their true character.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So then,
ἄρα¦γε (ara¦ge)
Particle
Strong's 686: Then, therefore, since. Probably from airo; a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive.

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.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 7:19
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