Matthew 7:15 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 7:15

Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

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

KJV

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

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Commentary

5 voices

Jerome

Catena Aurea by Aquinas (420)

What is here spoken of false prophets we may apply to all whose dress and speech promise one thing, and their actions exhibit another. But it is specially to be understood of heretics, who by observing temperance, chastity, and fasting, surround themselves as it were with a garment of sanctity, but inasmuch as their hearts within them are poisoned, they deceive the souls of the more simple brethren.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

Beware of false prophets,.... Or false teachers; for not such who pretended to foretell things to come, but such who set up themselves to be teachers of others, are here meant; see 2Pe 2:

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Beware of false prophets - Who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false prophets, who teach any other way than that our Lord hath here marked out.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

We have need to be very cautious, because their pretences are very fair and plausible, and such as will deceive us, if we be not upon our guard. They come in sheep's clothing, in the habit of prophets, which was plain and coarse, and unwrought; they wear a rough garment to deceive, Zech. xiii. Elijah's mantle the Septuagint calls he melote -- a sheep-skin mantle.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

False prophets - The word prophet originally means one who foretells future events. As prophets, however, were commonly regarded as public instructors on the subject of religion, the word came to denote all who were religious teachers. See the notes at Rom 12:6. In this sense it is probably used here. A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly laying claims to divine inspiration. It probably had reference to the false teachers then among the Jews. Who come in sheep’s clothing - The sheep is an emblem of innocence, sincerity, and harmlessness.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

16 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Προσέχετε	Prosechete	do beware	G4337 →
ἀπὸ	apo	of	G575 →
τῶν	tōn	the	G3588 →
ψευδοπροφητῶν	pseudoprophētōn	false prophets	G5578 →
οἵτινες	oitines	who	G3748 →
ἔρχονται	erchontai	come	G2064 →
πρὸς	pros	to	G4314 →
ὑμᾶς	humas	you	G4771 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
ἐνδύμασιν	endumasin	clothing	G1742 →
προβάτων,	probatōn	of sheep,	G4263 →
ἔσωθεν	esōthen	inwardly	G2081 →
δέ	de	however	G1161 →
εἰσιν	eisin	they are	G1510 →
λύκοι	lukoi	wolves	G3074 →
ἅρπαγες.	harpages	ravenous.	G727 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:1
  Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
  but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- 2 Peter 2:1
  Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 2 John 1:7
  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
- Proverbs 14:15
  The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
Through
Matthew 24:11
and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
leads to
- Matthew 24:24
  For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- Matthew 24:5
  For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
- Mark 13:22
  For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

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About Matthew

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Matthew: the study guide →Read chapter 7 →The featured study →

Continue: Matthew 7 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Matthew

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Matthew