Matthew 7:23 (DRB)

Passage

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name?

Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:24 Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock,

Matthew 7:25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "profess", "never", "knew", "depart", and "iniquity". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "profess" and "never", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Many will say to me in that..." into verse 24's "Every one therefore that heareth these my...", so "profess" and "never" 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 "profess" and "never" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.