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Matthew 7

World English Bible

WEB

1“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 7“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 13“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. 14How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it. 15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 16By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 18A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 19Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’ 24“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.” 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, 29for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Matthew Chapter 7 is a profound conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches about judgment, prayer, and the importance of building one's life on a solid foundation. The chapter begins with a powerful admonition against hypocrisy in judgment: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Matthew7:1). Jesus emphasizes that the measure we use to judge others will be the same measure applied to us, urging self-examination before pointing out the faults in others. This teaching encourages humility and compassion, reminding us that we all fall short of God's glory (Romans3:23). The metaphor of the speck and the plank illustrates the need for personal accountability in our relationships with others.

The chapter continues with Jesus' teaching on prayer, where He encourages believers to ask, seek, and knock, assuring them that God, as a loving Father, will respond to their needs. He states, "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew7:8). This passage highlights the accessibility of God and the importance of persistent prayer in the life of a believer. Jesus concludes with the Golden Rule: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew7:12), which encapsulates the essence of the Law and the Prophets.

Finally, Jesus presents the parable of the wise and foolish builders, contrasting those who hear His words and act on them with those who do not. The wise man builds his house on the rock, symbolizing a life grounded in obedience to Christ, while the foolish man builds on sand, representing a life without a solid foundation. The storms of life will test both builders, but only the one built on the rock will stand firm. This chapter calls us to reflect on our own lives and the choices we make, urging us to build our faith on the teachings of Jesus, ensuring we are prepared for the challenges that come our way.

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Referenced by

  1. Exodus 23:2v13Exodus 23:2 advises against following the crowd in wrongdoing, similar to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:13-14 about the narrow path that leads to life, contrasting with the broad way that leads to destruction.
  2. 1 Samuel 1:27v71 Samuel 1:27 highlights Hannah's prayer being answered by God, which aligns with the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:7 about asking and receiving.
  3. Job 14:19v24Job 14:19 describes the erosion of hope as water wears away stones, paralleling Jesus’ parable in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise and foolish builders, emphasizing the importance of a strong foundation.
  4. Psalms 6:8v23Psalm 6:8 speaks of the psalmist's confidence in God's response to his prayer, contrasting with Matthew 7:23 where Jesus declares He never knew those who practice lawlessness, emphasizing the importance of a genuine relationship with God.
  5. Psalms 62:2v24Psalm 62:2 describes God as a rock and fortress, a theme Jesus uses in Matthew 7:24-25 to describe the wise man who builds his house on the rock, symbolizing stability and security in God.
  6. Psalms 145:19v7Psalm 145:19 states that God fulfills the desires of those who fear Him, which aligns with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:7 about asking, seeking, and knocking to receive from God.
  7. Proverbs 10:25v24Proverbs 10:25 contrasts the fate of the wicked and the righteous, similar to Jesus' parable in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise and foolish builders, emphasizing the stability of the righteous.
  8. Proverbs 14:12v13Proverbs 14:12 warns that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. This is echoed in Matthew 7:13-14, where Jesus speaks of the broad way that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life.
  9. Proverbs 16:25v13Proverbs 16:25 warns that a way that seems right to a person can lead to death, similar to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:13-14 about the broad path leading to destruction.
  10. Proverbs 20:11v16Proverbs 20:11 notes that even a child is known by their actions, which parallels Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:16-20 about recognizing people by their fruits, underscoring the importance of actions as evidence of character.
  11. Proverbs 24:3-4v24Proverbs 24:3-4 speaks of wisdom and understanding as the foundation of a house, similar to Jesus' parable in Matthew 7:24-27 about building on the rock.
  12. Song of Solomon 3:4v7Song of Solomon 3:4 describes the joy of finding the beloved after a diligent search, paralleling Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:7-8 about seeking and finding.
  13. Isaiah 55:6v7Isaiah 55:6 encourages seeking the Lord while He may be found, paralleling Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:7 about asking, seeking, and knocking, emphasizing the importance of pursuing God.
  14. Jeremiah 13:23v16Jeremiah 13:23 questions whether a leopard can change its spots, illustrating the difficulty of changing one's nature, similar to Matthew 7:16-20, where Jesus speaks about recognizing people by their fruits, indicating the consistency of one's nature.
  15. Jeremiah 23:16v15Jeremiah 23:16 warns against false prophets, a warning that Jesus reiterates in Matthew 7:15, cautioning against those who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves.
  16. Jeremiah 33:3v7Jeremiah 33:3 invites believers to call upon God with the promise of revelation, similar to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:7 about asking, seeking, and knocking to receive from God.
  17. Luke 6:31v12Luke 6:31 presents the Golden Rule, 'Do to others as you would have them do to you,' which is similarly stated in Matthew 7:12, summarizing the Law and the Prophets.
  18. Luke 6:46v21Luke 6:46 questions why people call Jesus 'Lord' but do not do what He says, similar to Matthew 7:21, which warns that not everyone who calls Him 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven.
  19. Luke 6:48v24Luke 6:48 describes the wise builder who builds on a solid foundation, paralleling Matthew 7:24-25, emphasizing the importance of hearing and acting on Jesus' words.
  20. Luke 11:9v7Luke 11:9 encourages believers to ask, seek, and knock, promising that they will receive, find, and have doors opened. This teaching is paralleled in Matthew 7:7, highlighting the assurance of God's response to persistent prayer.
  21. Luke 13:24v13Luke 13:24 speaks of striving to enter through the narrow door, which parallels Matthew 7:13-14's teaching on the narrow gate leading to life, emphasizing the difficulty and commitment required for true discipleship.
  22. John 16:24v7John 16:24 encourages asking in Jesus' name to receive joy, paralleling Matthew 7:7 where Jesus teaches to ask, seek, and knock to receive from God.
  23. Romans 2:1v1Romans 2:1 warns against judging others, echoing Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:1-2 about the measure we use to judge others being used against us.
  24. Romans 14:13v1Romans 14:13 advises believers not to judge one another but rather to avoid putting stumbling blocks in others' paths, aligning with Matthew 7:1, which warns against judging others.
  25. 1 Corinthians 13:1v221 Corinthians 13:1 emphasizes that speaking in tongues without love is meaningless, similar to how Matthew 7:22-23 warns that performing miracles without a true relationship with Christ is futile.
  26. James 1:22v24James 1:22 urges believers to be doers of the word, not hearers only, paralleling Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise man who acts on His words.
  27. James 2:14v21James 2:14 questions the value of faith without works, suggesting that such faith cannot save. Matthew 7:21 supports this by stating that not everyone who calls Jesus 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father.
  28. 1 John 4:1v151 John 4:1 warns believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, similar to Jesus' warning in Matthew 7:15-20 about false prophets and recognizing them by their fruits.
  29. Revelation 13:11v15Revelation 13:11 describes another beast that looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon, similar to Matthew 7:15 where Jesus warns of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves. Both passages warn of deceptive appearances.

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