Matthew 7:18 (DBY)

Passage

A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor a worthless tree produce good fruits.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 7:20 By their fruits then surely ye shall know them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "tree", "produce", "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 17's "So every good tree produces good fruits..." into verse 19's "Every tree not producing good fruit is...", 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.