7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 1 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 2 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 3 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 4 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 5 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 6 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 7
7:24 “Everyone 8 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 9 a wise man 10 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 11 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 12
1 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
2 tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.
3 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
4 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
5 sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
6 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
8 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
9 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
10 tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.
11 tn Grk “the rivers.”
12 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”