Luke 6:44

44 Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. ¹

Luke 6:44 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 6:44

For every tree is known by its own fruit
Good and bad preachers are known by their doctrines, the one being agreeable, the other disagreeable to the word of God; and good and bad men are known by their lives and conversations: the grace of God revealed to good men, and wrought in them, teaches them to live soberly, righteously, and godly; a holy life is the fruit of grace, and an evidence of it; and the wickedness that is in the heart of unregenerate men, and even the hypocrisy of formal professors, will show themselves in the common and ordinary course of their conversations:

for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather
they grapes;
nor can they be expected from them: and no more can an unregenerate man perform good works, or bring forth: fruits of righteousness acceptable unto God; for these require a knowledge of his will, obedience to it, a principle of grace, love to God, faith in Christ, and a view to the glory of God; all which are wanting in such a person.

Luke 6:44 In-Context

42 How can you say to your brother, "Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,' yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

43 "A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit.

44 Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes.

45 A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

46 "Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord,' and yet don't do what I tell you?

Cross References

• 1. 6.44Matthew 12.33.