Text -- Luke 6:42-49 (NET)

6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6:43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 6:44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles. 6:45 The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart. 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you? 6:47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice– I will show you what he is like: 6:48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 6:49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Luk 6:43

¹ tn The explanatory connective γάρ (gar) is often dropped from translations, but the point of the passage is that one should be self-corrective and be careful who one follows (vv. 41-42), because such choices also reflect what the nature of the tree is and its product.

² tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “fruit” and “tree,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

³ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C D Θ Ψ 33 Ï lat sy sa), lack the adverb πάλιν (palin, “again”) here. Its presence is attested, however, by several good witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B L W Ξ Ë^1,13 579 892 1241 2542).

NET Notes: Luk 6:44

¹ sn The principle of the passage is that one produces what one is.

² tn Grk “they do not gather”; this has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.

³ tn This is a different verb (τρυγῶσιν, trugwsin) for gathering from the previous one (συλλέγουσιν, sullegousin).

⁴ tn This is a different term (βάτος, batos) for a thorn or bramble bush than the previous one (ἄκανθα, akanqa).

sn The statement nor are grapes picked from brambles illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit, does not produce fruit.

NET Notes: Luk 6:45

¹ tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“out of the evil”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

² sn Mention of the heart shows that Jesus is not interested in what is done, but why. Motives are more important than actions for him.

³ tn The word “treasury” is not repeated in the Greek text at this point, but is implied.

⁴ sn What one utters from one’s mouth is especially singled out as the example of this principle. James seems to have known this teaching (Jas 1:26; 3:1-12).

⁵ tn Grk “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

NET Notes: Luk 6:46

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

³ sn Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you? Respect is not a matter of mere words, but is reflected in obedient action. This short saying, which is much simpler than its more developed conceptual parallel in Matt 7:21-23, serves in this form to simply warn and issue a call to hear and obey, as the last parable also does in vv. 47-49.

NET Notes: Luk 6:47

¹ tn Grk “and does them.”

NET Notes: Luk 6:48

¹ tn Here and in v. 49 the Greek text reads ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), while the parallel account in Matt 7:24-27 uses ἀνήρ (anhr) in vv. 24 and 26.

² tn There are actually two different Greek verbs used here: “who dug (ἔσκαψεν, eskayen) and dug deep (ἐβάθυνεν, ebaqunen).” Jesus is placing emphasis on the effort to which the man went to prepare his foundation.

³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁴ sn The picture here is of a river overflowing its banks and causing flooding and chaos.

⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

⁶ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï latt), read “because he built [it] on the rock” rather than “because it had been well built” (Ì^75vid א B L W Ξ 33 579 892 1241 2542 pc sa). The reading of the later mss seems to be a harmonization to Matt 7:25, rendering it most likely secondary.

NET Notes: Luk 6:49

¹ tn Grk “does not do [them].”

² tn Grk “against which”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative clause was converted to a temporal clause in the translation and a new sentence started here.

³ tn Grk “it”; the referent (that house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Grk “and its crash was great.”

sn The extra phrase at the end of this description (and was utterly destroyed) portrays the great disappointment that the destruction of the house caused as it crashed and was swept away.