Matthew 7:16 (LSB)

Passage

You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

Matthew 7:18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Study Lenses

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

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