Matthew 7:18 (LSB)

Passage

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "tree", "bear", and "fruit". 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 17's "Even so every good tree bears good..." into verse 19's "Every tree that does not bear good...", so "good" and "tree" 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 "good" and "tree" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.