Matthew 7:23 (GNV)

Passage

And then will I professe to them, I neuer knewe you: depart from me, ye that worke iniquitie.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:21 Not euery one that sayeth vnto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen, but he that doeth my Fathers will which is in heauen.

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, haue we not by thy Name prophecied? and by thy name cast out deuils? and by thy name done many great workes?

Matthew 7:23 And then will I professe to them, I neuer knewe you: depart from me, ye that worke iniquitie.

Matthew 7:24 Whosoeuer then heareth of mee these words, and doeth the same, I will liken him to a wise man, which hath builded his house on a rock:

Matthew 7:25 And the raine fell, and the floods came, and the windes blewe, and beat vpon that house, and it fell not: for it was grounded on a rocke.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "professe", "neuer", "knewe", "depart", "worke", and "iniquitie". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "professe" and "neuer", 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 "Whosoeuer then heareth of mee these words...", so "professe" and "neuer" 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 "professe" and "neuer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.