Matthew 7:18 (YLT)

Passage

A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:16 From their fruits ye shall know them; do <FI>men<Fi> gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs?

Matthew 7:17 so every good tree doth yield good fruits, but the bad tree doth yield evil fruits.

Matthew 7:18 A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits.

Matthew 7:19 Every tree not yielding good fruit is cut down and is cast to fire:

Matthew 7:20 therefore from their fruits ye shall know them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "tree", "able", "yield", "evil", and "fruits". 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 "so every good tree doth yield good..." into verse 19's "Every tree not yielding good fruit is...", 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.