1 Samuel 15:13-14

15:13 When Samuel came to him, ¹  Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”

15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, ²  then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?”

Proverbs 20:11

20:11 Even a young man ³  is known ⁴  by his actions,

whether his activity is pure and whether it is right. ⁵ 

Matthew 7:16-20

7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered ⁶  from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? ⁷  7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad ⁸  tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

Matthew 12:33-34

Trees and Their Fruit

12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad ⁹  and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.

Titus 1:16

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

¹ tn Heb “to Saul.”

² tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³ sn In the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs the Hebrew term נַעַר (na’ar) referred to an adolescent, a young person whose character was being formed in his early life.

⁴ sn The Hebrew verb נָכַר (nakhar) means “to recognize” more than simply “to know.” Certain character traits can be recognized in a child by what he does (cf. NCV “by their behavior”).

⁵ sn Character is demonstrated by actions at any age. But the emphasis of the book of Proverbs would also be that if the young child begins to show such actions, then the parents must try to foster and cultivate them; if not, they must try to develop them through teaching and discipline.

⁶ 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.

⁷ sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.

⁸ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

⁹ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).