Matthew 7:17 (DBY)

Passage

So every good tree produces good fruits, but the worthless tree produces bad fruits.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:15 But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.

Matthew 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do [men] gather a bunch of grapes from thorns, or from thistles figs?

Matthew 7:17 So every good tree produces good fruits, but the worthless tree produces bad fruits.

Matthew 7:18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor a worthless tree produce good fruits.

Matthew 7:19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "tree", "produces", "fruits", and "worthless". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "good" and "tree", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "By their fruits ye shall know them..." into verse 18's "A good tree cannot produce bad fruits...", so "good" and "tree" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "good" and "tree" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.