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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Matthew 7:18 Commentaries: "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newcom.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../vmenus/matthew/7-18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcom/matthew/7-18.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > Matthew 7:18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../matthew/7-17.htm" title="Matthew 7:17">◄</a> Matthew 7:18 <a href="../matthew/7-19.htm" title="Matthew 7:19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither <i>can</i> a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/alford/matthew/7.htm" title="Henry Alford - Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary">Alford</a> • <a href="/commentaries/barnes/matthew/7.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/bengel/matthew/7.htm" title="Bengel's Gnomen">Bengel</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/matthew/7.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/matthew/7.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/matthew/7.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/matthew/7.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/chrysostom/matthew/7.htm" title="Chrysostom Homilies">Chrysostom</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/matthew/7.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/matthew/7.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/matthew/7.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/matthew/7.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/matthew/7.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/egt/matthew/7.htm" title="Expositor's Greek">Exp Grk</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/matthew/7.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/matthew/7.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/matthew/7.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/matthew/7.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/matthew/7.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/matthew/7.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/matthew/7-13.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/matthew/7.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/icc/matthew/7.htm" title="ICC NT Commentary">ICC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/matthew/7.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kelly/matthew/7.htm" title="Kelly Commentary">Kelly</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/matthew/7.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/matthew/7.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/matthew/7.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/matthew/7.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/matthew/7.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/meyer/matthew/7.htm" title="Meyer Commentary">Meyer</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/matthew/7.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pnt/matthew/7.htm" title="People's New Testament">PNT</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/matthew/7.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/matthew/7.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/matthew/7.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/matthew/7.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/matthew/7.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/vws/matthew/7.htm" title="Vincent's Word Studies">VWS</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/matthew/7.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/matthew/7.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>7:15-20 Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/matthew/7.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>A corrupt tree - The word "corrupt" here does not signify, as our translation would seem to indicate, that the tree "had been" good, but had become "vitiated;" but that it was a tree of a useless character, of a nature that produced nothing beneficial. <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/matthew/7.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit—Obvious as is the truth here expressed in different forms—that the heart determines and is the only proper interpreter of the actions of our life—no one who knows how the Church of Rome makes a merit of actions, quite apart from the motives that prompt them, and how the same tendency manifests itself from time to time even among Protestant Christians, can think it too obvious to be insisted on by the teachers of divine truth. Here follows a wholesome digression.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/matthew/7.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> <span class="bld">See Poole on "<a href="/matthew/7-20.htm" title="Why by their fruits you shall know them.">Matthew 7:20</a>"</span>. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/matthew/7.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,.... A man that is unprincipled with the grace of God, has an experimental acquaintance with the Gospel of Christ, and is guided by the Spirit of God into all truth, as it is in Jesus, cannot knowingly deliver, maintain, and abide by any doctrine that is contrary to the glory of God's grace, and the person of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the fundamental doctrines of the Bible; or what is repugnant to the experiences of God's people, and prejudicial to their souls. <p>Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A corrupt preacher, one destitute of the truth of the Gospel, reprobate concerning the faith, who never had any experience of the doctrines of grace, and denies them in the theory of them, cannot, consistent with himself, and his own principles, deliver, or preach good doctrine; or that which tends to produce any good fruit, either in the experience or lives of men. It is true, a corrupt man, that is, an unregenerate man, may preach sound doctrine, it being what he believes, though he has no experience of it: but then this man is not a corrupt tree, that is, a corrupt preacher, though a corrupt man. As our Lord means by "a good tree", not a good man, barely, or one that is made so by the grace of God; but a good minister, one that is furnished by the Spirit of God, and is well instructed in the kingdom of heaven: so by "a corrupt tree" he does not mean a corrupt man, a man that is in a state of nature, habitually and practically evil; but a corrupt preacher, a false prophet or teacher, that has sucked in corrupt principles, and has nothing else in him, and therefore can bring forth no other. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/matthew/7.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/egt/matthew/7.htm">Expositor's Greek Testament</a></div><a href="/matthew/7-18.htm" title="A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.">Matthew 7:18</a>. <span class="greekheb">οὐ δύναται</span>, etc. Nothing else is possible or looked for in nature.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/matthew/7.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 18.</span> - Parallel passage: <a href="/luke/6-43.htm">Luke 6:43</a> (cf. also <span class="accented">infra</span>, <a href="/matthew/12-33.htm">Matthew 12:33</a>). <span class="cmt_word">A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.</span> This correspondence of external product to internal character is necessary. It cannot (emphatic) be otherwise. It' the heart is good, good results follow; therefore, he implies, if good results are not seen in these "false prophets," it is because of their real character. A bad life cannot but spring from a worthless heart. Of course, our Lord deals only with the general rule. There are apparent anomalies in the world of spirit as of nature. <span class="accented">Bring forth</span>... <span class="accented">bring forth</span>; <span class="greek">ἐνεγκεῖν</span> (Westcott and Herr)... <span class="greek">ποιεῖν</span>. A good tree cannot have bad fruit hanging on it; a rotten or worthless tree cannot, with all its efforts, produce good fruit. Matthew 7:18<div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/matthew/7-18.htm">Matthew 7:18 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../matthew/7-17.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Matthew 7:17"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Matthew 7:17" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../matthew/7-19.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Matthew 7:19"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Matthew 7:19" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>