Matthew 7

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Jesus teaches against hypocritical judgment, urging self-correction before criticizing others. He encourages persistent prayer, promising that God, like a good father, will provide good things. The chapter warns against false prophets, emphasizing that true discipleship is demonstrated by obedience to God's will, likening it to building one's life upon a solid foundation of hearing and doing Christ's words.

Judging Others 1–6

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.

Assurance in Prayer and the Golden Rule 7–12

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone;

or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate 13–14

Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.

For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

Warning Against False Prophets 15–20

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

I Never Knew You 21–23

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The Wise and Foolish Builders 24–27

Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.

And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

The Authority of Jesus' Teaching 28–29

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching:

for he taught them asonehaving authority, and not as their scribes.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 7

Verse 1

Judge not, that ye be not judged — One verb, krino, three times; v.2 turns it to krima, the verdict received. What is forbidden is the censure of v.5's hypocrite, not discernment: this chapter itself calls for telling dogs and swine (v.6) and false prophets (vv.15–16), and 'judge righteous judgment' (John 7:24). Compare Rom 2:1.

Verse 2

with what measure ye mete — Two matched sayings, 'judgment' (krima) and 'measure' (metron); 'it shall be measured to you again' is one verb, antimetreo, measured back. Luke 6:38 gives it with giving: 'with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.' Jas 2:13: 'he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy'.

Verse 3

the mote… the beam — Karphos is a dry twig or straw, dokos a beam of timber; the contrast is the point. The speck is looked at (blepo), but the beam goes unconsidered: 'considerest not' is katanoeo, to observe fully. The same figure stands in Luke 6:41–42. Gal 6:1 gives the right use: 'restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself'.

Verse 5

Thou hypocrite — Hypokrites is a stage-player, one acting a part; the scribes and Pharisees are called by it in 23:13, 28. The beam goes first, then 'shalt thou see clearly' (diablepo, found elsewhere only in Luke 6:42) 'to cast out the mote': the brother is still to be helped, and the order is what the verse fixes.

Verse 6

cast ye your pearls before swine — Swine were unclean to Israel (Lev 11:7). 'That which is holy' is not to be given to those who will 'trample' and 'rend'. The proverb stands alongside 'Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee' (Prov 9:8) and the Lord's charge to the twelve to 'shake off the dust of your feet' (Matt 10:14).

Verse 7

Ask… seek… knock — All three verbs are present imperatives: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. The answers are 'given', 'find', 'opened'. The promise of seeking runs through the Old Testament: 'ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart' (Jer 29:13); 'The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him' (Ps 145:18).

Verse 11

being evil, know how to give good gifts — 'Evil' (poneros) sets sinful fathers against the heavenly Father; the argument is 'how much more' (posos mallon). Luke 11:13 names the gift: 'the Holy Spirit to them that ask him'. Compare 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above' (Jas 1:17) and 'how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?' (Rom 8:32).

Verse 12

this is the law and the prophets — 'Therefore' gathers vv.7–11: as the Father gives good to those who ask, so do to men. 'The law and the prophets' is the whole Scripture of the time, summed again in 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself… On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets' (22:39–40; Lev 19:18). Rom 13:10: 'love is the fulfilling of the law'.

Verse 13

the strait gate — Stenos, narrow. The wide gate and broad way lead 'to destruction' (apoleia), and 'many there be which go in thereat'. The two ways are Scripture's own: 'I have set before you life and death… therefore choose life' (Deut 30:19); 'the way of the righteous… the way of the ungodly shall perish' (Ps 1:6). Christ says, 'I am the door' (John 10:9).

Verse 15

ravening wolves — Harpax, rapacious. False prophets (pseudoprophetes) wear the look of the flock but are 'inwardly' (esothen) predators. The figure is Scripture's, as in the princes 'like wolves ravening the prey' (Ezek 22:27) and in Paul's warning, 'grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock' (Acts 20:29). The Lord adds that 'many false prophets shall rise' (24:11).

Verse 16

Ye shall know them by their fruits — Epiginosko, to know fully. The test is what a life produces, not appearance or claim, drawn from orchards: 'every tree is known by his own fruit' (Luke 6:44; Matt 12:33). 'Grapes of thorns… figs of thistles' find their answer in James: 'Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?' (3:12).

Verse 21

Lord, Lord — The doubled address is the confession without the obedience. The test is 'he that doeth the will of my Father'. Poieo, 'doeth', is the verb of 'bringeth forth' in vv.17–19 and of 'doeth' in vv.24, 26, so fruit and obedience run as one thread. Compare 'why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?' (Luke 6:46).

Verse 22

in that day — Three claims, each 'in thy name': prophesying, casting out devils, 'many wonderful works' (dunamis, works of power). The Lord does not answer the claims; he answers in v.23 with what is missing. Compare the gifts without love in 1 Cor 13:1–2, and 'depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity' in Luke 13:25–27.

Verse 23

I never knew you — 'Profess' is homologeo, to confess openly: his open word answers theirs, as in 'Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father' (10:32). 'Depart from me, ye that work iniquity' draws on Ps 6:8. 'Iniquity' is anomia, lawlessness, the opposite of doing 'the will of my Father' in v.21.

Verse 24

built his house upon a rock — Phronimos, prudent. The wise man is defined by two verbs, 'heareth' and 'doeth' (akouo, poieo), as in 'be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only' (Jas 1:22). 'Rock' is a title of the LORD in the Psalms: 'The LORD is my rock, and my fortress' (Ps 18:2). 'These sayings of mine' (logos) are the Sermon just given.

Verse 26

a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand — Moros, foolish, the word set against 'wise' (phronimos) in 'five of them were wise, and five were foolish' (25:2). Both builders hear 'these sayings'; the difference is the 'doeth them not'. Luke 6:49 puts it: 'a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth'.

Verse 28

astonished at his doctrine — Ekplesso, struck with astonishment; 'doctrine' is didache, teaching. 'These sayings' are the Sermon begun at 5:1, 'seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain'. The same response is recorded at Capernaum: 'they were astonished at his doctrine' (Mark 1:22; Luke 4:32).

Verse 29

as one having authority — Exousia, the right to speak with the final word. The Sermon showed it: 'But I say unto you' (5:22). The scribes (grammateus) were the interpreters of the law, and he did not teach 'as the scribes'. Mark gives the same verdict: 'he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes' (1:22).