Matthew 12:33 kjv
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Matthew 12:33 nkjv
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 niv
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 esv
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 nlt
"A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.
Matthew 12 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 7:16-20 | You will recognize them by their fruits... Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... by their fruits you will recognize them. | Discernment of false prophets by their actions. |
| Lk 6:43-45 | For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit... | Parallel teaching; character shown by deeds/words. |
| Jas 3:11-12 | Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh water and saltwater? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? | Impossibility of dual nature, spiritual fruit. |
| Jer 17:10 | “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” | God's judgment based on internal source and deeds. |
| Ps 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. | Righteous individual likened to a good fruit-bearing tree. |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Explains the source of "bad" nature if unregenerate. |
| Mk 7:20-23 | And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality... | Actions (fruit) originate from the heart (tree). |
| Lk 3:7-9 | Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God... can raise up children for Abraham from these stones. | Call for authentic change evidenced by fruit, not lineage. |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... | Describes the good fruit borne by those indwelt by the Holy Spirit. |
| Eph 5:9 | (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true) | Emphasizes the kind of fruit produced by walking in light. |
| Col 1:10 | so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; | Christians are called to bear fruit through good works. |
| Titus 1:16 | They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. | A warning against those who profess good but produce bad fruit. |
| Jude 1:12 | These are hidden reefs at your love feasts... trees without fruit in autumn, twice dead, uprooted; | Describes ungodly people as fruitless trees, indicating their corruption. |
| Jn 15:2-6 | Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit... | Jesus as the vine, disciples as branches, necessity of bearing fruit. |
| Phil 1:11 | filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. | The fruit produced by Christ in believers. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | Connects the heart (tree) as the source of life's outpouring (fruit). |
| 1 Pet 1:15 | but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, | Call to consistent conduct reflecting God's nature. |
| Heb 12:11 | For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. | Fruit can also be a product of divine discipline. |
| Rom 2:6 | He will render to each one according to his works: | Reinforces judgment based on works, or fruit. |
| Matt 3:10 | Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | Consequence for fruitless trees (unrepentant individuals). |
| 2 Cor 9:10 | He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. | God's provision enables fruit-bearing (righteousness). |
| Ps 92:14 | They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, | Continuing fruitfulness of the righteous. |
Matthew 12 verses
Matthew 12 33 Meaning
Matthew 12:33 presents a foundational principle that the nature of a thing is infallibly revealed by its outcome. Jesus employs the vivid agricultural metaphor of a tree and its fruit to illustrate that one's inner character and moral disposition (the tree) will inevitably manifest in their actions, words, and behavior (the fruit). It states a simple, unalterable truth: a good source produces good results, and a corrupt source produces corrupt results. There is no mixing of the two; genuine goodness cannot flow from an evil heart, nor can true wickedness perpetually flow from a pure one. This verse emphasizes consistency and discernment, highlighting that true identity is not defined by outward profession but by tangible fruit.
Matthew 12 33 Context
Matthew 12:33 is embedded within a heated exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. Immediately preceding this verse, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Mt 12:24). Jesus strongly refutes their accusation, arguing that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and that if He casts out demons by God's Spirit, then the kingdom of God has come upon them. This accusation culminates in Jesus' stern warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:31-32), highlighting the Pharisees' internal corruption. Verse 33, along with 34-37, then functions as Jesus' diagnosis of their spiritual condition and their judgment. He reveals that their accusatory and evil words (the "fruit") are not mere mistakes, but direct evidence of their wicked hearts (the "tree"). This section forms a critical part of Jesus' teaching on spiritual discernment, revealing the source of words and actions, and underscoring the severe consequences of rejecting the clear evidence of God's work. Historically, the Pharisees often focused on outward appearances and strict adherence to the Law, believing themselves righteous, yet Jesus constantly challenged their inner motivations and lack of genuine compassion.
Matthew 12 33 Word analysis
- Either make: (Greek: ποιέω - poieō) Here, poieō is used not as a command to change the nature of the tree, but as a logical proposition or declaration. It implies "acknowledge," "treat as," or "accept the premise." You must either acknowledge that if a tree is good, its fruit must be good, or if a tree is bad, its fruit must be bad. It's a statement of inescapable consequence: accept the source as good/bad, and thus expect good/bad fruit. It underlines consistency.
- the tree: (Greek: δένδρον - dendron) This refers to the essential nature, character, or disposition of a person. It is the core being, the heart from which all actions flow.
- good: (Greek: καλός - kalos) Signifies intrinsically good, noble, honorable, morally sound, and beautiful. It denotes something that is truly excellent, worthy of approval, and beneficial.
- and its fruit: (Greek: καρπός - karpos) This metaphorically represents the outward manifestations, deeds, words, actions, and consequences that proceed from the inner nature of the "tree" or person. It's the tangible evidence.
- bad: (Greek: σαπρός - sapros) Denotes rotten, corrupt, worthless, decayed, or foul. It contrasts sharply with kalos, implying moral depravity, something destructive and without true value.
- for the tree is known: (Greek: γινώσκω - ginōskō) To know, perceive, recognize, understand by experience or observation. The verb indicates that discernment of the tree's true nature comes through observing its produce. The inner state is made evident externally.
- by its fruit: The final clause reiterates and explains the preceding statements. The "fruit" serves as the unmistakable indicator or evidence of the "tree's" true character. It emphasizes that a person's words and deeds are not arbitrary but are an authentic reflection of who they are on the inside. You cannot truly hide your character; it will be revealed through what you consistently produce.
Matthew 12 33 Bonus section
The agricultural metaphor of the tree and its fruit was widely understood in Jewish culture, making Jesus' point clear and potent. This proverb speaks not of incidental errors but of habitual patterns that consistently reflect one's inherent nature. It directly refutes any claim of goodness where the actions are evil, or vice-versa. While this verse reveals that actions expose character, it also implicitly teaches that to change one's fruit, one must undergo a fundamental change of nature—a spiritual regeneration often referred to elsewhere as being "born again" (Jn 3:3-7), where the tree itself is made good through Christ, enabling it to bear good fruit by the Spirit. Thus, it also foreshadows the need for divine transformation of the heart for genuine, righteous fruit to be borne.
Matthew 12 33 Commentary
Matthew 12:33 serves as a pivotal statement by Jesus in His confrontation with the Pharisees. When they attributed His divine works of casting out demons to demonic power, Jesus laid bare the hypocrisy and evil of their own hearts. This verse asserts an undeniable principle: character dictates conduct. A morally corrupt "tree" (person) cannot consistently produce genuinely good "fruit" (actions, words), just as a good "tree" will not continually yield bad "fruit. Jesus implicitly challenges the Pharisees to examine their own "fruit"—their words of accusation and judgment—and recognize them as stemming from a "bad tree." Conversely, His own "fruit"—the liberation of the oppressed, healing, and teaching—were undeniable evidence of a "good tree" empowered by God. This principle transcends mere action; it points to the fundamental importance of the heart, the seat of desires, thoughts, and intentions. Authentic goodness or badness is revealed in consistent output, compelling us to consider the source of our own words and deeds.