Matthew 7:23 (YLT)

Passage

and then I will acknowledge to them, that--I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:21 `Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens.

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not in thy name prophesied? and in thy name cast out demons? and in thy name done many mighty things?

Matthew 7:23 and then I will acknowledge to them, that--I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness.

Matthew 7:24 `Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock;

Matthew 7:25 and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "acknowledge", "that--i", "never", "knew", "depart", "working", and "lawlessness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "acknowledge" and "that--i", 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 "Therefore every one who doth hear of...", so "acknowledge" and "that--i" 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 "acknowledge" and "that--i" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.