Luke 6:43

New Living Translation

"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.

King James Version (1611)
For a good tree bringeth not foorth corrupt fruit: neither doeth a corrupt tree bring foorth good fruit.

King James Version
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

English Standard Version
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,

New American Standard Bible
"For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit.

New Century Version
"A good tree does not produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit.

Amplified Bible
"For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.

Legacy Standard Bible
For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.

Berean Standard Bible
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

Contemporary English Version
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

Complete Jewish Bible
"For no good tree produces bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit.

Darby Translation
For there is no good tree which produces corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree which produces good fruit;

Easy-to-Read Version
"A good tree does not produce bad fruit. And a bad tree does not produce good fruit.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For it is not a good tree that bringeth foorth euill fruite: neither an euill tree, that bringeth foorth good fruite.

George Lamsa Translation
There is no good tree that bears bad fruits, nor a bad tree that bears good fruits.

Good News Translation
"A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit.

Lexham English Bible
"For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit,

Literal Translation
For there is not a good tree that produces bad fruit, nor a bad tree that produces good fruit.

American Standard Version
For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

Bible in Basic English
For no good tree gives bad fruit, and no bad tree gives good fruit.

Hebrew Names Version
For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.

International Standard Version
"A good tree doesn't produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn't produce good fruit.Matthew 7:16-17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
A good tree maketh not evil fruits; also an evil tree maketh not good fruits:

Murdock Translation
There is no good tree, that beareth bad fruits; nor a bad tree, that beareth good fruits.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For it is not a good tree, that bryngeth foorth euyll fruite: Neither is that an euyll tree, that bryngeth foorth good fruite.

English Revised Version
For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

World English Bible
For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For there is no good tree which bringeth forth corrupt fruit, neither a corrupt tree, which bringeth forth good fruit.

Weymouth's New Testament
"There is no good tree that yields unsound fruit, nor again any unsound tree that yields good fruit.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
It is not a good tree, that makith yuel fruytis, nether an yuel tree, that makith good fruytis;

Update Bible Version
For there is no good tree producing corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree producing good fruit.

Webster's Bible Translation
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

New English Translation
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,

New King James Version
Matthew 7:15-20">[xr] "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

New Life Bible
"A good tree cannot have bad fruit. A bad tree cannot have good fruit.

New Revised Standard
"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For a good tree doth not produce worthless fruit, neither again doth, a worthless tree, produce good fruit.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit: nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

Revised Standard Version
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
It is not a good tree that bringeth forthe evyll frute: nether is that an evyll tree that bringeth forthe good frute

Young's Literal Translation
`For there is not a good tree making bad fruit, nor a bad tree making good fruit;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For it is no good tre, yt bryngeth forth euell frute: and no euell tre yt bringeth forth good frute.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Certainly a good tree does not produce bad fruit: nor does a bad tree produce good fruit.

THE MESSAGE
"You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"A good tree don't make bad fruit, and a bad tree don't make good fruit.

Contextual Overview

³⁷ "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." ³⁹ Then Jesus gave the following illustration: "Can one blind person lead another? Won't they both fall into a ditch? ⁴⁰ Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. ⁴¹ "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴² How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. ⁴³ "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. ⁴⁴ A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. ⁴⁵ A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. ⁴⁶ "So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 92:12-14, Isaiah 5:4, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 2:21, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 7:16-20, Matthew 12:33

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:11 - fruit Proverbs 20:11 - General Matthew 13:23 - beareth John 3:8 - so James 3:12 - the fig tree

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit,.... The particle, "for" is left out in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; and so it is in Beza's ancient copy: nor do these words stand in close connection with the preceding in Matthew's Gospel, though they may be very well considered as an illustration of them; for as that cannot be called a good tree, which brings forth bad fruit; so such men cannot be accounted good men, let them make ever so large pretensions to such a character, who are very busy in espying, discovering, and censuring the faults of their brethren; when they take no notice of, nor refrain from, nor relinquish their own. These words, with what follow in this, and the next verse, and the similes in them, are used by our Lord in Matthew, on account of false prophets or teachers; where he suggests, that as good and faithful ministers of the Gospel cannot, and do, not bring forth, and publish corrupt notions, and false doctrines, usually and knowingly; even usual, nor can it be, that a good tree should bring forth corrupt fruit; so,

neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit; or men of corrupt minds deliver good and sound doctrine, or the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ: but here they seem to be applicable to other persons, even true believers and hypocrites: the former are comparable to good trees, and are called trees of righteousness, which being planted by the river of the love of God, and rooted in Christ, and filled with the fruits of righteousness by him, do not bring forth the evil fruit of sin, as the common and constant course of their lives and conversations; for that they never commit sin, or are entirely without it, cannot be said; but sin is not their usual and common practice, or they do not live in sin: and the latter, hypocrites, who pretend to a great deal of religion, and have none that is true and real, these are comparable to corrupt trees; which, though they may make a fair show, yet do not bring forth good fruit, or perform works of righteousness which are truly such; what they do have only the appearance of good works, and are not properly so;

:-.

:-.

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage fully illustrated in the sermon on the mount, in Matt. 5–7.

Luke 6:21

That hunger now - Matthew has it, “that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Matthew has expressed more fully what Luke has briefly, but there is no contradiction.

Luke 6:24-26

These verses have been omitted by Matthew. They seem to have been spoken to the Pharisees.

Who are rich - In this world’s goods. They loved them; they had sought for them; they found their consolation in them. It implies, farther, that they would not seek or receive consolation from the gospel. They were proud, and would not seek it; satisfied, and did not desire it; filled with cares, and had no time or disposition to attend to it. All the consolation which they had reason to expect they had received. Alas! how poor and worthless is such consolation, compared with that which the gospel would give!

Woe unto you that are full! - Not hungry. Satisfied with their wealth, and not feeling their need of anything better than earthly wealth can give. Many, alas! are thus “full.” They profess to be satisfied. They desire nothing but wealth, and a sufficiency to satisfy the wants of the body. They have no anxiety for the riches that shall endure forever.

Ye shall hunger - Your property shall be taken away, or you shall see that it is of little value; and then you shall see the need of something better. You shall feel your want and wretchedness, and shall “hunger” for something to satisfy the desires of a dying, sinful soul.

That laugh now - Are happy, or thoughtless, or joyful, or filled with levity.

Shall mourn and weep - The time is coming when you shall sorrow deeply. In sickness, in calamity, in the prospect of death, in the fear of eternity, your laughter shall be turned into sorrow. “There is” a place where you cannot laugh, and there you will see the folly of having passed the “proper time” of preparing for such scenes in levity and folly. Alas! how many thus spend their youth! and how many weep when it is too late! God gives them over, and “laughs” at their “calamity,” and mocks when their fear comes, Proverbs 1:26. To be happy in “such scenes,” it is necessary to be sober, humble, pious in early life. “Then” we need not weep in the day of calamity; then there will be no terror in death; then there will be nothing to fear in the grave.

Luke 6:26

When all men shall speak well of you - When they shall praise or applaud you. The people of the world will not praise or applaud “my” doctrine; they are “opposed” to it, and therefore, if they speak well of “you” and of “your teachings,” it is proof that you do not teach the true doctrine. If you do “not” do this, then there will be woe upon you. If men teach false doctrines for true; if they declare that God has spoken that which he has not spoken, and if they oppose what he “has” delivered, then heavy punishments will await them.

For so did their fathers - The fathers or ancestors of this people; the ancient Jews.

To the false prophets - Men who pretended to be of God - who delivered their “own” doctrines as the truth of God, and who accommodated themselves to the desires of the people. Of this number were the prophets of Baal, the false prophets who appeared in the time of Jeremiah, etc.

Luke 6:27, Luke 6:28

See Matthew 5:44-45.

Luke 6:29

See Matthew 5:39-40.

Luke 6:30

See Matthew 5:42.

Luke 6:31

See Matthew 7:12.

Luke 6:32-36

See Matthew 5:46-48.

Luke 6:37-42

See Matthew 7:1-9.

Luke 6:38

Good measure - They shall give you good measure, or “full” measure.

Pressed down - As figs or grapes might be, and thus many more might be put into the measure.

Shaken together - To make it more compact, and thus to give more.

Running over - So full that the measure would overflow.

Shall men give - This is said to be the reward of “giving” to the poor and needy; and the meaning is that the man who is liberal will find others liberal to him in dealing with them, and when he is also in circumstances of want. A man who is himself kind to the poor - who has that “character” established - will find many who are ready to help “him” abundantly when he is in want. He that is parsimonious, close, niggardly, will find few or none who will aid him.

Into your bosom - That is, to you. The word “bosom” here has reference to a custom among Oriental nations of making the bosom or front part of their garments large, so that articles could be carried in them, answering the purpose of our pockets. Compare Exodus 4:6-7; Proverbs 6:27; Ruth 3:15.

Luke 6:39

A parable - A proverb or similitude.

Can the blind lead the blind? - See the notes at Matthew 15:14.

Luke 6:40

The disciple is not ... - The learner is not above his teacher, does not know more, and must expect to fare no better. This seems to have been spoken to show them that they were not to expect that their disciples would go “beyond them” in attainments; that if they were blind, their followers would be also; and that therefore it was important for them to understand fully the doctrines of the gospel, and not to be blind leaders of the blind.

Every one that is perfect - The word rendered “is perfect” means sometimes to repair or mend, and is thus applied to mending nets, Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19. Hence, it means to repair or amend in a moral sense, or to make whole or complete. Here it means, evidently, “thoroughly instructed” or “informed.” The Christian should be like his Master - holy, harmless, and undefiled, and separate from sinners. He should copy his example, and grow into the likeness of his Redeemer. Nor can any other be a Christian.

Luke 6:41, Luke 6:42

See the notes at Matthew 7:3-5.

Luke 6:43, Luke 6:44

See the notes at Matthew 7:16-18.

Luke 6:45

This verse is not found in the sermon on the mount as recorded by Matthew, but is recorded by him in Matthew 12:35. See the notes at that passage.

Luke 6:46-49

See the notes at Matthew 7:21-27.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 43. Corrupt fruit — καρπον σαπρον, literally, rotten fruit: but here it means, such fruit as is unfit for use. See on Matthew 7:17-20.