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OET (OET-LV) Either make the tree good and the fruit of_it good, or make the tree bad and the fruit of_it bad, because/for the tree is_being_known by the fruit.
OET (OET-RV) “Either make both the tree and its fruit good, or make them both bad, because a tree is known by its fruit.
In this section, Jesus continued to respond to the Pharisees’ accusation that he cast out evil spirits by the power of Satan. First, he said that the Pharisees needed to be consistent in their beliefs about him. Then he warned them that God would judge them for the words that they said.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
A tree is known by its fruit
A tree and its fruit
People know you by your words (NCV)
This paragraph begins a new section. In this paragraph Jesus continued speaking. In some languages, it may be natural to make it explicit that Jesus continued speaking. For example:
Jesus continued and said,
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good,
¶ “Either consider the tree good and its fruit good, (Common English Bible)
¶ “Either call the tree good and its fruit good, (The Simplified English Bible)
¶ Then Jesus said, “You must have the same opinion/thinking of both a tree and its fruit. You must decide whether the tree and its fruit are good,
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad: This is a metaphor. There are many ways to interpret this metaphor. Here are some of the main interpretations:
Jesus compared himself to a tree. According to this interpretation, the verb make has the sense of a mental process of thinking, considering, judging, or believing. Also, the verb make is the implied verb in the phrase “make its fruit good.” Jesus told the Pharisees that they needed to be consistent in their beliefs about him (the tree) and his healings (fruit). They needed to consider both him and his works to be either good or bad. They could not say that his healings were good, then turn around and say that he himself was bad.While Jesus was talking primarily to the Pharisees, he was perhaps also addressing the people in the crowd who were there listening. He was perhaps also telling them that they needed to be consistent in their beliefs about their religious leaders. These leaders could not be good when they were saying evil things. Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:One commentator who holds this view is Turner. On page 324 he says, “Jesus demands that the Pharisees be consistent. They must either view Jesus (the tree) and its fruit (his words and deeds) as worthless or view them as good (12:33).”
Make the tree and its fruit good, or make the tree and its fruit bad.
Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree bad and its fruit bad. (The Simplified English Bible)
Jesus compared the Pharisees to a tree. According to this interpretation, the verb make has the sense of change/repent. Also, the full form of the second clause would be “and then its fruit will be good.” Jesus told the Pharisees that they needed to repent. They needed to change themselves. That would be like making a tree good. Then their works (fruit) would also be good. Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:One commentator who holds this view is Bruner. On page 570 he says, “This is a call to conversion. Jesus is saying, ‘Stop playing around: either get converted (“make the tree good”) or get out (“make the tree bad”)!’”
Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good (GW)
Make yourselves, the tree, good, then your deeds, the fruit will also be good
Jesus compared people to two types of trees: a good tree and a bad tree. According to this interpretation, Jesus used this metaphor in the same way as he used similar metaphors in other places where he talked about a tree and its fruit. He was saying that both he and his deeds are good, and the Pharisees are bad. Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:One commentator who holds this view is France. On page 485 he says, “The point of the proverb is the same as in 7:16–20: a person’s true nature is perceived by how they behave.”
If you make a tree good, its fruit will also be good.
If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. (NLT)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Among the main interpretations, this one fits best with the grammar and context of Matthew. Most English versions translate this verse quite literally. Even though they may appear to follow interpretation (1), it is not certain. If possible, you should translate this verse in a general way so that any of the above interpretations are possible.
Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:
Keep the metaphor. For example:
make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad (RSV)
Make the tree and its fruit good, or make the tree and its fruit bad.
Translate the meaning of the verb make. For example:
Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. (The Simple English Bible)
Either consider the tree good and its fruit good, or consider the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. (Common English Bible)
You must make your opinion of a tree and of its fruit the same. If you regard a tree as good, then you must also regard its fruit as good. If you regard a tree as bad, then you must also regard its fruit as bad.
Make the topic of the metaphor explicit. For example:
You must decide whether I, the tree, and my deeds, the fruit, are good, or whether I and my deeds are bad.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
You must have the same opinion of both me and my deeds. Decide whether I and my deeds are good, or whether they are bad.
or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad;
or consider the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. (Common English Bible)
or call the tree bad and its fruit bad. (The Simplified English Bible)
or whether a tree and its fruit are bad.
make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad: The Greek word that the BSB translates as bad is literally “rotten, unusable, unwholesome.” If possible, you should use an adjective that can be used to refer to both a bad tree and bad fruit. For example:
rotten
not good
In some languages, it may be necessary to use a different adjective to describe a tree and its fruit. For example:
bad tree and fruit that is not good/sweet
for a tree is known by its fruit.
A tree can be recognized because of its fruit.
The fruit of a tree shows what type of tree it is.
People know a tree by its fruit.
for: Verse 12:33c is the basis for the command in 12:33a–b. The Greek introduces this basis with a conjunction that the BSB translates as for.
Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, a conjunction will not be necessary here either.
In some languages, it may be more natural to put the basis before the command. For example:
cA tree is known by its fruit, aso make a tree and its fruit good, bor make a tree and its fruit bad.
a tree is known by its fruit: The verb is known refers to looking at the fruit and easily knowing the kind of tree it is.
Here are some other ways to translate this verb:
is recognized (NIV)
is shown
is distinguished
This clause is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
a tree is recognized by its fruit (NIV)
a tree is known because of its fruit
Use an active verb. For example:
people know/recognize a tree by its fruit
The fruit of a tree shows what kind of tree it is.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor
ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν, ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν; ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ, τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον καλόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ καλόν ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον σαπρόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γάρ τοῦ καρποῦ τό δένδρον γινώσκεται)
Here Jesus speaks of people as if they were trees that produced fruit. It makes sense to say that a tree and its fruit together are either good or rotten. It does not make sense to say that a tree is good and its fruit rotten or that a tree is rotten and its fruit good. That is because trees are known by their fruits. Similarly, people who follow God do what is right, and people who do not follow God do what is wrong. It does not make sense to say that someone who does what is right is not following God or that someone who does what is wrong is following God. Most likely, Jesus wishes to apply this figure of speech both to himself (a good tree) and to the Pharisees (bad trees). If possible, preserve the figure of speech or use simile form. Alternate translation: [Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. Similarly, either call people good and their deeds good, or call people bad and their deeds bad. For, just as a tree is known by its fruit, so people are known by their deeds]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν, ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον καλόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ καλόν ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον σαπρόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γάρ τοῦ καρποῦ τό δένδρον γινώσκεται)
Here Jesus could be indicating that: (1) people should make consistent judgments or evaluations of both a tree and its fruit. Alternate translation: [Either consider both the tree and its fruit good, or consider both the tree and its fruit bad] (2) people can make a tree either good or rotten by how they care for that tree. Then, the tree will make fruit that fits with how people cared for that tree. Alternate translation: [Either make the tree good, and it will make its fruit good, or make the tree rotten, and it will make its fruit rotten] or [Either make the tree good, and its fruit will be good, or make the tree rotten, and its fruit will be rotten] (3) a tree produces fruit that fits with what kind of tree it is. Alternate translation: [Either a tree is good and produces good fruit, or a tree is rotten and produces rotten fruit]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
(Occurrence -1) τὸ δένδρον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον καλόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ καλόν ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον σαπρόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γάρ τοῦ καρποῦ τό δένδρον γινώσκεται)
The word tree represents trees in general, not one particular tree. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [any tree … any tree … every tree]
Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
(Occurrence -1) γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον καλόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ καλόν ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον σαπρόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γάρ τοῦ καρποῦ τό δένδρον γινώσκεται)
Here, the word for introduces a reason why a tree and its fruit must either be good or rotten. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason or basis for a claim, or you could leave for untranslated. Alternate translation: [since] or [which I command because]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἐκ & τοῦ καρποῦ, τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται
by & the fruit (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον καλόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ καλόν ἤ ποιήσατε τό δένδρον σαπρόν καί τόν καρπόν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν ἐκ γάρ τοῦ καρποῦ τό δένδρον γινώσκεται)
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, you could use an indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [people know the tree by its fruit]
OET (OET-LV) Either make the tree good and the fruit of_it good, or make the tree bad and the fruit of_it bad, because/for the tree is_being_known by the fruit.
OET (OET-RV) “Either make both the tree and its fruit good, or make them both bad, because a tree is known by its fruit.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.