Luke 6:43 (GNV)

Passage

For it is not a good tree that bringeth foorth euill fruite: neither an euill tree, that bringeth foorth good fruite.

Nearby Context

Luke 6:41 And why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye, and considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye?

Luke 6:42 Either howe canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye? Hypocrite, cast out the beame out of thine owne eye first, and then shalt thou see, perfectly to pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye.

Luke 6:43 For it is not a good tree that bringeth foorth euill fruite: neither an euill tree, that bringeth foorth good fruite.

Luke 6:44 For euery tree is knowen by his owne fruite: for neither of thornes gather men figges, nor of bushes gather they grapes.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth foorth good, and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth foorth euill: for of the aboundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "tree", "bringeth", "foorth", "euill", "fruite", and "neither". 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 42's "Either howe canst thou say to thy..." into verse 44's "For euery tree is knowen by his...", so "good" and "tree" belong inside that flow. In Luke 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.