43For no good tree produces rotten fruit, nor again does a rotten tree produce good fruit. [6:44] For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. [6:45] The good person brings forth what is good from the good treasure of his heart, and the evil person brings forth what is evil from his evil treasure. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.
LUK 6:43-45
A Tree and Its Fruit
In the world it was spoken into
In a 1st-century agrarian society, the imagery of trees and their fruit would have been immediately familiar. Agricultural practices were central to daily life, and the quality of a tree’s fruit was a direct indicator of its health and usefulness. A (rotten) tree was not just unproductive but a liability, taking up valuable space and resources. The metaphor of thorns and brambles producing figs or grapes would have been absurd to listeners, as these plants were known for their uselessness or harm. The heart was understood as the center of a person’s moral and spiritual life, and the (treasure) of the heart represented the stored-up character or disposition from which actions flowed. In a culture deeply concerned with honor and shame, one’s words and deeds were seen as outward expressions of inner integrity or corruption. The (overflow) of the heart emphasized that speech and behavior were not random but inevitable outpourings of what was stored within.
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How other translations render this
LUK 6:43
- KJV
- For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
- BSB
- No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
- Koinōnos
- For no good tree produces rotten fruit, nor again does a rotten tree produce good fruit.
LUK 6:44
- KJV
- For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
- BSB
- For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.
- Koinōnos
- For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
LUK 6:45
- KJV
- A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
- BSB
- The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
- Koinōnos
- The good person brings forth what is good from the good treasure of his heart, and the evil person brings forth what is evil from his evil treasure. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 6:43
- bad;:The word translated 'bad' here refers to something rotten, putrid, or decayed, like spoiled fruit or rotting wood. It implies something that is no longer fit for its intended purpose.
LUK 6:45
- treasure:The word translated 'treasure' refers to a store or hoard of valuable things, often kept in a secure place. It can imply a collection of riches or something highly valued.
- brings forth:The word translated 'brings forth' means to carry forward or produce. It suggests an active process of yielding or bringing something out into the open.
- brings forth:The word translated 'brings forth' more literally means an 'overflow' or 'superabundance.' It suggests that what is spoken comes from an excess or an abundance within the heart.