Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 7:18 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 18. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Denies that good and corrupt trees consistently bear the opposite fruit.
Read It With
- Matthew 7:15–7:23
Matthew 7:18 denies that good and corrupt trees consistently bear the opposite fruit; within Matthew 7:15–7:23, it contributes to this controlling movement: Jesus warns about predatory prophets, tests trees by fruit, and says impressive confession and mighty works do not substitute for doing the Father's will.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Denies that good and corrupt trees consistently bear the opposite fruit. This precise contribution belongs inside “Fruit exposes false prophetic claims” because Jesus warns about predatory prophets, tests trees by fruit, and says impressive confession and mighty works do not substitute for doing the Father's will.
What Remains True
Because Matthew 7:18 denies that good and corrupt trees consistently bear the opposite fruit, faithful readers should preserve this verse's exact role, first setting, affected people, and the complete movement of Matthew 7:15–7:23 before naming an enduring conclusion.
How It Can Shape Life
- For Matthew 7:18, first state this verse-specific contribution—denies that good and corrupt trees consistently bear the opposite fruit; then explain it inside Matthew 7:15–7:23; preserve the source-controlled uncertainty—Fruit requires sustained ethical discernment, while the judgment scene denies that charisma or miracle claims authenticate themselves.; and refuse this misuse: This warning does not permit rumor-based accusations, demonize denominations, excuse works-righteousness caricatures, or let leaders validate themselves by spectacular claims.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Matthew 7:15–7:23 — Fruit exposes false prophetic claimsSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 7:15–7:23, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 7:15–7:23
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 7:15–7:23
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 7:15–7:23
Open source ↗