Matthew 7:16 (DRB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:14 How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

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

Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Matthew 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fruits", "shall", "gather", "grapes", "thorns", "figs", and "thistles". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fruits" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Beware of false prophets who come to..." into verse 17's "Even so every good tree bringeth forth...", so "fruits" and "shall" 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 "fruits" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.