Matthew 12:33 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus says a tree is known by its fruit; good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bad.
What Does Matthew 12:33 Mean?
Jesus turns to an image from nature. A tree and its fruit match: a good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree bad. You cannot have one kind of tree and the opposite kind of fruit. The fruit reveals the nature of the tree that bore it.
He presses his accusers to be honest. His works, his fruit, are plainly good, deliverance, healing, mercy. By their own principle, then, the tree is good, and their charge that he serves evil collapses. The image also searches every heart, for what a life produces shows what it truly is. Christ calls us to be made good at the root, so that good fruit may follow, for the heart is known by what flows from it.
Matthew 12:33 in the Original Language
karpos (καρπός), 'fruit' -- the produce of a tree, here a picture of the deeds and words that reveal the heart.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 12:33
What does Matthew 12:33 mean?
Jesus says a tree is known by its fruit; good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bad.