Matthew 7:19 (DRB)

Passage

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.

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

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tree", "bringeth", "forth", "good", "fruit", "shall", and "down". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tree" and "bringeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "A good tree cannot bring forth evil..." into verse 20's "Wherefore by their fruits you shall know...", so "tree" and "bringeth" 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 "tree" and "bringeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.