Matthew 7:15

Coverdale Bible (1535)

Beware of false Prophetes, which come to you in shepes clothinge, but inwardly they are rauenynge wolues,

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες.

Transliteration

Prosechete de apo tōn pseudoprophētōn, who erchontai pros hymas en endymasin probatōn, esōthen de eisin lykoi harpages.

Grammar Details

• *Prosechete*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - beware/pay attention to
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and/now
• *apo*: preposition with genitive - from
• *tōn pseudoprophētōn*: genitive plural masculine - the false prophets
• *hoitines*: relative pronoun, nominative plural masculine - who/whoever
• *erchontai*: present middle indicative, 3rd person plural - come/are coming
• *pros*: preposition with accusative - to/toward
• *hymas*: accusative plural - you
• *en*: preposition with dative - in/with
• *endymasin*: dative plural neuter - garments/clothing
• *probatōn*: genitive plural neuter - of sheep
• *esōthen*: adverb - from within/inside
• *eisin*: present active indicative, 3rd person plural - are
• *lykoi*: nominative plural masculine - wolves
• *harpages*: nominative plural masculine - ravenous/rapacious

Word Meanings

• *prosechete*: beware/pay attention to/be on guard against
• *pseudoprophētōn*: false prophets/pretenders to divine inspiration
• *erchontai*: come/approach/arrive
• *endymasin*: garments/clothing/outer wear
• *probatōn*: sheep [symbol of innocence/harmlessness]
• *esōthen*: within/inside/inwardly
• *lykoi*: wolves [symbol of danger/destruction]
• *harpages*: ravenous/rapacious/predatory/greedy

Referenced Verses

• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Dearly beleued, beleue not ye euery sprete, but proue the spretes, whether they be of God. For many false prophetes are gone out in to the worlde.
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 Bvt there were false prophetes also amonge the people, euen as there shalbe false teachers amonge you likewyse, which preuely shal brynge in damnable sectes, euen denyenge the LORDE that hath boughte them, and shal brynge vpon them selues swift damnacion: 2 and many shal folowe their damnable wayes, by who the waye of the trueth shal be euell spoke of: 3 and thorow cuvetousnes shal they with fayned wordes make marchaundise of you, vpo who the iudgment is not necliget in tarienge of olde, and their damnacion slepeth not.
• Matt 24:11 : 11 And many false prophetes shal aryse, and shal disceaue many:
• Col 2:8 : 8 Bewarre lest eny ma spoyle you thorow philosophy and disceatfull vanite after the tradicions of men, and after the ordinauces of the worlde, and not after Christ.
• Deut 13:1-3 : 1 Yf there ryse vp a prophet or dreamer amonge you, and geue the a token or a wonder, 2 and that token or wonder which he spake of, come to passe, and then saye: Let vs go after other goddes (whom thou knowest not) and let vs serue the: 3 Thou shalt not herken vnto the wordes of soch a prophet or dreamer. For ye LORDE youre God proueth you, to wete whether ye loue him with all youre hert, & with all youre soule.
• Acts 20:29-31 : 29 For this I knowe, that after my departinge there shal enter in amonge you greuous wolues, which shal not spare the flocke. 30 Yee eue from amonge youre awne selues shal men aryse, speakynge peruerse doctryne, to drawe disciples after them. 31 Therfore awake, and remembre, that by the space of thre yeares I ceassed not to warne euery one off you both nighte and daye with teares.
• Mark 13:22-23 : 22 For there shal aryse false Christes, and false prophetes, which shal do tokens & wonders, to disceaue euen the very chosen, yf it were possyble. 23 But take ye hede, Beholde, I haue tolde you all before.
• Luke 6:26 : 26 Wo vnto you whan euery man prayseth you, Euen so dyd their fathers vnto the false prophetes also.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For soch false Apostles & disceatfull workers fashion them selues like vnto the Apostles of Christ. 14 And that is no maruell: for Sathan himfelfe is chaunged in to ye fashion of an angell of light. 15 Therfore is it no greate thinge, though his mymisters fashion them selues as though they were the preachers of righteousnes, whose ende shalbe acordinge to their dedes.
• Mic 3:5-7 : 5 And as concernynge the prophetes that disceaue my people, thus the LORDE sayeth agaynst them: When they haue eny thinge to byte vpon, then they preach that all shalbe well: but yf a man put not some thinge in to their mouthes, they preach of warre agaynst him. 6 Therfore youre vision shalbe turned to night, & youre prophecyenge to darcknesse. The Sonne shall go downe ouer those prophetes, & the daye shalbe darcke vnto them. 7 Then shall the vision seers be ashamed, & ye saythsayers confounded: yee they shalbe fayne (all the packe of the) to stoppe their mouthes, for they haue not Gods worde.
• Mic 3:11 : 11 O ye iudges, ye geue sentence for giftes: O ye preastes, ye teach for lucre: O ye prophetes, ye prophecy for money. Yet wil they be take as those that holde vpon God, and saye: Is not the LORDE amonge vs? Tush, there can no misfortune happen vs.
• 2 Pet 3:17 : 17 Ye therfore beloued, seynge ye knowe it before hande, bewarre, lest ye also be plucte awaye thorow the erroure of ye wicked, and fall from yor owne stedfastnes.
• Jude 1:4 : 4 For there are certayne craftely crept in, of which it was wrytten afore tyme vnto soche iudgement. They are vngodly, and turne the grace of oure God vnto wantanes, and denye God the onely LORDE, and oure LORDE Iesus Christ.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 And the beeste was taken, and with him that false prophet that wrought myracles before him, with which he disceaued them that receaued the beestes marke, and them that worsshipped his ymage. These both were cast in to a ponde of fyre burnynge wt brymstone:
• Ezek 22:27 : 27 Thy rulers in the are like rauyshinge wolues, to shed bloude, and to destroye soules, for their owne covetous lucre.
• Ezek 22:25 : 25 thy prophetes that are in the, are sworne together to deuoure soules, like as a roaringe Lyon, that lyueth by his pray. They receaue riches and good, and make many wyddowes in ye.
• Isa 9:15-16 : 15 By the heade, is vnderstonde the Senatoure and honorable man, and by ye tale, the prophet that preacheth lyes. 16 For all they which enfourme the people that they be in a right case, soch be disceauers. Soch as men thynke also to be perfecte amonge these, are but cast awaye.
• Jer 14:14-16 : 14 And the LORDE sayde vnto me: The prophetes preach lies vnto them in my name. I haue not spoken with them, nether gaue I them eny charge, nether dyd I sende the: yet they preach vnto you false visions, charmynge, vanite, and disceatfulnesse of their owne herte. 15 Therfore thus saieth the LORDE: As for those prophetes that preach in my name (whom I neuertheles haue not sent) and yt saye: Tush, there shal nether batel ner honger be in this londe: With swearde ad with honger shal those prophetes perish, 16 and the people to whom they haue preached, shal be cast out of Ierusalem, dye of honger, ad be slayne with the swearde, (and there shal be no man to burie them) both they ad their wyues, their sonnes and their doughters. For thus wil I poure their wickednes vpon the.
• Jer 23:13-16 : 13 I haue sene foly amonge the prophetes of Samaria, yt they preched for Baal, ad disceaued my people off Israel. 14 I haue sene also amonge the Prophetes off Ierusalem foule aduoutery, and presumptuous lies. They take the most shamefull men by the hode, flatringe them, so that they canot returne from their wickednes. All these with their citesyns are vnto me, as Sodom, and as the inhabitours off Gomorre. 15 Therfore thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes concernynge the prophetes: Beholde, I wil fede them with wormwod, & make them dryncke the water of gall. For fro the prophetes of Ierusalem is the sicknes of Ypocrisie come in to all the londe. 16 And therfore the LORDE of hoostes geueth you this warnynge: Heare not the wordes of the prophetes, that preach vnto you, and disceaue you: for they speake the meanynge of their owne herte, and not out of the mouth of the LORDE.
• Jer 28:15-17 : 15 Then sayde the prophet Ieremy vnto ye prophet Hananias: Heare me (I praye the) Hananias: The LORDE hath not sent the, but thou bringest this people in to a false beleue. 16 And therfore thus saieth ye LORDE: beholde, I wil sende the out of the lode, & within a yeare thou shalt die, because thou hast falsely spoke agaynst the LORDE. 17 So Hananias the prophet died the same yeare in the seuenth Moneth.
• Jer 29:21 : 21 Thus hath the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel spoken, of Achab ye sonne of Colaias, & of Sedechias the sonne of Maasia, which prophecie lies vnto you in my name: Beholde, I wil delyuer them in to the honde of Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon, that he maye slaye them before youre eyes.
• Jer 29:32 : 32 therfore thus the LORDE doth certifie you: Beholde, I wil vyset Semeia the Nehelamite, & his sede: so that none of his shall remayne amonge this people, & none of them shall se the good, yt I will do for this people, saieth the LORDE. For he hath preached falsely of the LORDE.
• Ezek 13:16 : 16 These are the prophetes of Israel, which prophecie vnto the cite of Ierusalem, & loke out visions of peace for them, where as no peace is, saieth the LORDE God.
• Zeph 3:3-4 : 3 Hir rulers within her are as roaringe lyons: hir iudges are as wolues in the euenynge, which leaue nothinge behynde them till the morow. 4 Hir prophetes are light personnes and vn faithfull men: hir prestes vnhalowe the Sanctuary, and do wronge vnder the pretence of the lawe.
• Zech 13:4 : 4 And then shall those prophetes be confounded, euery one off his vision when he prophecieth: nether shall they weere sack clothes eny more, to disceaue me withall.
• Matt 10:17 : 17 Beware of men, for they shall deliuer you vp to the cousels, and shal scourge you in their synagoges.
• Matt 16:6 : 6 Iesus sayde vnto the: Take hede & bewarre of the leue of ye Pharises & of the Saduces.
• Matt 16:11 : 11 Why perceaue ye not then, yt I spake not to you of bred, whe I saide: bewarre of ye leue of ye Pharises & of ye Saduces?
• Matt 24:4-5 : 4 Iesus answered and sayde vnto them: Take hede, that no man disceaue you. 5 For there shal many come in my name, and saye: I am Christ, and shal disceaue many.
• Gal 2:4 : 4 and that because of certayne incommers beynge false brethre, which came in amoge other, to spye out oure libertye, which we haue in Christ Iesus, that they mighte brynge vs in to bondage:
• Eph 4:14 : 14 that we be nomore children, waueringe & caried aboute with euery wynde of doctryne thorow the wickednes of men and craftynes, wherby they laye awayte for vs to disceaue vs.
• Eph 5:6 : 6 (Let no man disceaue you with vayne wordes) for because of these commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of vnbeleue.
• Phil 3:2 : 2 Bewarre off dogges, bewarre of euell workers, bewarre off discension:
• 1 Tim 4:1-3 : 1 The sprete speaketh euydently, that in ye latter tymes some shal departe from the faith, and shal geue hede vnto spretes of erroure, and deuelish doctrynes, of them 2 which speake false thorow ypocrysie, and haue their coscience marked with an whote yron, 3 forbyddinge to mary, and comaundynge to abstayne fro the meates, which God hath created to be receaued wt geuynge thankes of them which beleue and knowe the trueth.
• 2 Tim 3:5-9 : 5 hauynge a shyne off godly lyuynge, but denyenge the power therof. And soch avoyde. 6 Of this sorte are they which rune fro house to house, & brynge in to bondage weme lade wt synne: which (wemen) are led with dyuerse lustes, 7 euer lernynge, and are neuer able to come vnto the knowlege of the trueth. 8 But like as Iamnes and Iabres withstode Moses, euen so do these also resist the trueth: me they are of corrupte myndes, and lewde as cocernynge ye faith: 9 but they shal preuayle no longer. For their folishnes shalbe manifest vnto all men, as theirs was.
• 2 Tim 3:13 : 13 But the euell men and disceauers shal waxe worse and worse, disceauynge and beynge disceaued.
• 2 Tim 4:3 : 3 For the tyme wil come, whan they shal not suffre wholsome doctryne, but after their awne lustes shal they (whose eares ytche) get them an heape of teachers,
• Luke 12:15 : 15 And he sayde vnto them: Take hede, and bewarre of couetousnesse, for no man lyueth therof, that he hath abundaunce of goodes.
• John 10:12 : 12 But an hyred seruaunt, which is not the shepherde, nether the shepe are his awne, seyth ye wolfe comynge, and leaueth ye shepe, and flyeth. And the wolfe catcheth & scatereth ye shepe.
• Rom 16:17-18 : 17 I beseke you brethren, marke them which cause deuysion & geue occasions of euell, contrary to ye doctryne which ye haue learned, & avoyde them. 18 For they yt are soch, serue not the LORDE Iesu Christ, but their awne belly: & thorow swete preachinges & flateringe wordes, they disceaue ye hertes of ye innocentes.
• Matt 24:24-25 : 24 For there shal aryse false Christes and false prophetes, and shal do greate tokes and wonders: In so moch, that (yf it were possible) the very chosen shulde be brought in to erroure. 25 Beholde, I haue tolde you before.
• Mark 12:38-40 : 38 And he taught the, and sayde vnto the: Bewarre of the scrybes, that loue to go in longe garmentes, and loue to be saluted in the market, 39 and syt gladly aboue in the synagoges and at the table: 40 they deuoure wyddowes houses, and vnder a coloure they make longe prayers. These shal receaue the more damnacion.
• Rev 13:11-17 : 11 And I behelde another beest commynge vp out of the earth, and he had two hornes like a lambe, and he spake as dyd the drago. 12 And he dyd all that the first beest coulde do in his presence, and he caused the earth, and them which dwell therin, to worshippe the fyrst beest, whose deedly woude was healed. 13 And he dyd greate wonders, so that he made fyre come downe from heaue in the sight of men. 14 And deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by ye meanes of those signes which he had power to do in the sight of the beest, sayenge to them that dwelt on the earth: that they shulde make an ymage vnto the beest, which had the wounde of a swearde and dyd liue. 15 And he had power to geue a sprete vnto the ymage of the beest, and that the ymage of the beest shulde speake, and shulde cause, that as many as wolde not worshippe the ymage of the beest, shulde be kylled. 16 And he made all bothe smale and greate, ryche and poore, fre and bond, to receaue a marke in their right hondes, or in their forheades. 17 And that no man might by or sell, saue he yt had ye marke, or the name of the beest, ether the nombre of his name.
• Rev 16:13 : 13 And I sawe thre vncleane spretes kike frogges come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out off the mouth off the beest, and out off the mouth of the false prophet.
• Rev 17:6 : 6 And I sawe the wyfe dronke with the bloude of sayntes, and with the bloud of the witnesses of Iesu. And when I sawe her, I wondred with greate mervayle.
• Acts 13:40 : 40 But whosoeuer beleueth on this man, is iustifyed. Bewarre therfore, that it come not vpon you, which is spoken in the prophetes:
• 2 Pet 2:18-19 : 18 For they speake ye proude wordes of vanite, vnto ye vttemost, and entyse thorow wantannes vnto ye luste of the flesh, euen them that were cleane escaped, and now walke in erroure: 19 and promyse them libertye, where as they them selues are seruauntes off corrupcion. For off whom so euer a man is ouercome, vnto the same is he in bondage.
• Acts 13:6 : 6 And whan they had gone thorow out the yle vnto the cyte of Paphos, they founde a certayne Sorcerer and false prophete, a Iewe (whose name was Bariesu)
• Ezek 13:22 : 22 Seinge yt with youre lyes ye discomforte the herte of the rightuous, whom I haue not discomforted: Agayne: For so moch as ye corage the honde of the wicked, so that he maye not turne from his wicked waye, & lyue:
• Isa 56:10-11 : 10 For his watchmen are all blinde, they haue alltogether no vnderstondinge, they are all domme dogges, not beinge able to barcke, they are slepery: slogish are they, & lie snortinge: 11 they are shamelesse dogges, yt be neuer sati?fied. The sheperdes also in like maner haue no vnderstondinge, but euery man turneth his owne waye, euery one after his owne couetousnes, wt all his power.