Matthew 7:15

Geneva Bible (1560)

Beware of false prophets, which come to you, in sheepes clothing, but inwardly they are rauening 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 Dearely beloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophets are gone out into this worlde.
• 2 Pet 2:1-3 : 1 Bvt there were false prophets also among the people, euen as there shalbe false teachers among you: which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lorde, that hath bought them, and bring vpon themselues swift damnation. 2 And many shall folow their destructions, by whom the way of trueth shalbe euil spoken of, 3 And through couetousnes shall they with fained words make marchandise of you, whose condemnation long since resteth not, and their destruction slumbreth not.
• Matt 24:11 : 11 And many false prophets shall arise, & shall deceiue many.
• Col 2:8 : 8 Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through philosophie, & vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
• Deut 13:1-3 : 1 If there arise amog you a prophet or a dreamer of dreames, (and giue thee a signe or wonder, 2 And the signe and the wonder, which hee hath tolde thee, come to passe) saying, Let vs go after other gods, which thou hast not knowen, and let vs serue them, 3 Thou shalt not hearken vnto the wordes of the prophet, or vnto that dreamer of dreames: for the Lord your God prooueth you, to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with al your heart, and with all your soule.
• Acts 20:29-31 : 29 For I knowe this, that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in among you, not sparing the flocke. 30 Moreouer of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse thinges, to drawe disciples after them. 31 Therefore watche, and remember, that by the space of three yeres I ceased not to warne euery one, both night and day with teares.
• Mark 13:22-23 : 22 For false Christes shall rise, and false prophets, and shall shewe signes and wonders, to deceiue if it were possible the very elect. 23 But take ye heede: beholde, I haue shewed you all things before.
• Luke 6:26 : 26 Wo be to you when all men speake well of you: for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such false apostles are deceitfull workers, and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ. 14 And no marueile: for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transforme themselues, as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, whose end shall be according to their workes.
• Mic 3:5-7 : 5 Thus saith the Lorde, Concerning the prophets that deceiue my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace, but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him, 6 Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination, and the sunne shall goe downe ouer the prophets, and the day shalbe darke ouer them. 7 Then shall the Seers bee ashamed, and the southsayers confounded: yea, they shall all couer their lippes, for they haue none answere of God.
• Mic 3:11 : 11 The heads thereof iudge for rewardes, and the Priestes thereof teache for hyre, and the prophets thereof prophecie for money: yet wil they leane vpon the Lorde, and say, Is not the Lorde among vs? no euill can come vpon vs.
• 2 Pet 3:17 : 17 Ye therefore beloued, seeing ye know these thinges before, beware, lest ye be also plucked away with the errour of the wicked, and fall from your owne stedfastnesse.
• Jude 1:4 : 4 For there are certaine men crept in, which were before of olde ordeined to this condemnation: vngodly men they are which turne the grace of our God into wantonnesse, and denie God the onely Lord, and our Lord Iesus Christ.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 But ye beast was taken, & with him that false prophet that wrought miracles before him, whereby he deceiued them that receiued ye beastes marke, and them that worshipped his image. These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.
• Ezek 22:27 : 27 Her princes in the mids thereof are like wolues, rauening the praye to shed blood, and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre.
• Ezek 22:25 : 25 There is a conspiracie of her prophets in the mids thereof like a roaring lyon, rauening the praye: they haue deuoured soules: they haue taken the riches and precious things: they haue made her many widowes in the mids thereof.
• Isa 9:15-16 : 15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile. 16 For the leaders of the people cause them to erre: and they that are led by them are deuoured.
• Jer 14:14-16 : 14 Then the Lord said vnto me, The prophets prophecie lyes in my Name: I haue not sent them, neither did I command them, neither spake I vnto them, but they prophecie vnto you a false vision, and diuination, and vanitie, and deceitfulnes of their owne heart. 15 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Concerning the prophets that prophecie in my Name, whom I haue not sent, yet they say, Sworde and famine shal not be in this land, by sword and famine shal those prophets be consumed. 16 And the people to whome these prophets doe prophecie, shalbe cast out in the streetes of Ierusalem, because of the famine, & the sword, & there shall be none to bury them, both they, and their wiues, and their sonnes, and their daughters: for I wil powre their wickednes vpon them.
• Jer 23:13-16 : 13 And I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of Samaria, that prophecied in Baal, & caused my people Israel to erre. 14 I haue seene also in the prophets of Ierusalem filthines: they commit adulterie & walke in lies: they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse: they are all vnto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah. 15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes concerning the prophets, Beholde, I will feede them with wormewood, & make them drinke the water of gall: for from the prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone forth into all the lande. 16 Thus sayth ye Lord of hosts, Heare not the wordes of the prophets that prophecie vnto you, and teach you vanitie: they speake the vision of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.
• Jer 28:15-17 : 15 Then sayd the Prophet Ieremiah vnto the Prophet Hananiah, Heare nowe Hananiah, the Lorde hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lye. 16 Therefore thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I will cast thee from of the earth: this yeere thou shalt die, because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. 17 So Hananiah the Prophet dyed the same yeere in the seuenth moneth.
• Jer 29:21 : 21 Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, the God of Israel, of Ahab the sonne of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the sonne of Maaseiah, which prophecie lyes vnto you in my Name, Beholde, I will deliuer them into the hande of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and he shall slay them before your eyes.
• Jer 29:32 : 32 Therefore thus saieth the Lord, Behold, I wil visite Shemaiah the Nehelamite, & his seede: hee shall not haue a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he beholde the good, that I will doe for my people, sayth the Lorde, because he hath spoken rebelliously against the Lorde.
• Ezek 13:16 : 16 To wit, the Prophets of Israel, which prophesie vpon Ierusalem, and see visions of peace for it, and there is no peace, sayth the Lord God.
• Zeph 3:3-4 : 3 Her princes within her are as roaring lyons: her iudges are as wolues in the euening, which leaue not the bones till the morow. 4 Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie: they haue wrested the Lawe.
• Zech 13:4 : 4 And in that day shall the prophetes be ashamed euery one of his vision, when he hath prophesied: neither shall they weare a rough garment to deceiue.
• Matt 10:17 : 17 But beware of men, for they will deliuer you vp to the Councils, and will scourge you in their Synagogues.
• Matt 16:6 : 6 Then Iesus said vnto them, Take heede and beware of the leauen of the Pharises & Sadduces.
• Matt 16:11 : 11 Why perceiue ye not that I said not vnto you concerning bread, that ye shoulde beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Sadduces?
• Matt 24:4-5 : 4 And Iesus answered, and sayd vnto them, Take heede that no man deceiue you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceiue many.
• Gal 2:4 : 4 To wit, for the false brethren which were craftily sent in, and crept in priuily to spie out our libertie, which we haue in Christ Iesus, that they might bring vs into bondage.
• Eph 4:14 : 14 That we henceforth be no more children, wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine, by the deceit of men, and with craftines, whereby they lay in wait to deceiue.
• Eph 5:6 : 6 Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes: for, for such thinges commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience.
• Phil 3:2 : 2 Beware of dogges: beware of euil workers: beware of the concision.
• 1 Tim 4:1-3 : 1 Nowe the Spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall giue heede vnto spirits of errour, and doctrines of deuils, 2 Which speake lies through hypocrisie, & haue their cosciences burned with an hote yron, 3 Forbidding to marrie, and commanding to absteine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and knowe the trueth.
• 2 Tim 3:5-9 : 5 Hauing a shewe of godlinesse, but haue denied the power thereof: turne away therefore from such. 6 For of this sort are they which creepe into houses, and leade captiue simple women laden with sinnes, and led with diuers lustes, 7 Which women are euer learning, and are neuer able to come to the acknowledging of the trueth. 8 And as Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moses, so doe these also resist the trueth, men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall preuaile no longer: for their madnesse shalbe euident vnto all men, as theirs also was.
• 2 Tim 3:13 : 13 But the euill men and deceiuers, shall waxe worse and worse, deceiuing, and being deceiued.
• 2 Tim 4:3 : 3 For the time will come, when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine: but hauing their eares itching, shal after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers,
• Luke 12:15 : 15 Wherefore he said vnto them, Take heede, and beware of couetousnesse: for though a man haue abundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches.
• John 10:12 : 12 But an hireling, and hee which is not the shepheard, neither the sheepe are his owne, seeth the wolfe comming, and hee leaueth the sheepe, and fleeth, and the wolfe catcheth them, and scattreth the sheepe.
• Rom 16:17-18 : 17 Now I beseech you brethren, marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye haue learned, and auoide them. 18 For they that are such, serue not the Lorde Iesus Christ, but their owne bellies, and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the heartes of the simple.
• Matt 24:24-25 : 24 For there shall arise false Christes, and false prophets, and shall shewe great signes and wonders, so that if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect. 25 Beholde, I haue tolde you before.
• Mark 12:38-40 : 38 Moreouer he saide vnto them in his doctrine, Beware of the Scribes which loue to goe in long robes, & loue salutations in the markets, 39 And the chiefe seates in the Synagogues, and the first roumes at feastes, 40 Which deuoure widowes houses, euen vnder a colour of long prayers. These shall receiue the greater damnation.
• Rev 13:11-17 : 11 And I beheld another beast coming vp out of the earth, which had two hornes like the Lambe, but he spake like the dragon. 12 And he did all that the first beast could doe before him, and he caused the earth, and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he did great wonders, so that hee made fire to come downe from heauen on the earth, in the sight of men, 14 And deceiued them that dwell on the earth by the signes, which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound of a sword, and did liue. 15 And it was permitted to him to giue a spirit vnto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speake, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, should be killed. 16 And he made all, both small and great, rich and poore, free and bond, to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads, 17 And that no man might buy or sell, saue hee that had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
• Rev 16:13 : 13 And I sawe three vncleane spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of that dragon, and out of the mouth of that beast, and out of the mouth of that false prophet.
• Rev 17:6 : 6 And I sawe ye woman drunken with the blood of Saintes, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesvs: and when I sawe her, I wondred with great marueile.
• Acts 13:40 : 40 Beware therefore lest that come vpon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets,
• 2 Pet 2:18-19 : 18 For in speaking swelling wordes of vanitie, they beguile with wantonnesse through the lusts of the flesh them that were cleane escaped from them which are wrapped in errour, 19 Promising vnto them libertie, & are themselues the seruants of corruption: for of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome, euen vnto the same is he in bondage.
• Acts 13:6 : 6 So when they had gone throughout the yle vnto Paphus, they found a certaine sorcerer, a false prophet, being a Iewe, named Bariesus,
• Ezek 13:22 : 22 Because with your lyes yee haue made the heart of the righteous sadde, whome I haue not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not returne from his wicked way, by promising him life,
• Isa 56:10-11 : 10 Their watchmen are all blinde: they haue no knowledge: they are all dumme dogs: they can not barke: they lie and sleepe and delite in sleeping. 11 And these griedy dogs can neuer haue ynough: and these shepheards cannot vnderstand: for they all looke to their owne way, euery one for his aduantage, and for his owne purpose.