Matthew 7:15 (WEB)

Passage

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.

Matthew 7:14 How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

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

Matthew 7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "beware", "false", "prophets", "come", "clothing", "inwardly", and "ravening". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "beware", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "How narrow is the gate and restricted..." into verse 16's "By their fruits you will know them...", so "sheep" and "beware" 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 "sheep" and "beware" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.