The Meaning of Matthew 7:26 Explained

Matthew 7:26

KJV: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

YLT: 'And every one who is hearing of me these words, and is not doing them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;

Darby: And every one who hears these my words and does not do them, he shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand;

ASV: And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  every one  that heareth  these  sayings  of mine,  and  doeth  them  not,  shall be likened  unto a foolish  man,  which  built  his  house  upon  the sand: 

What does Matthew 7:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 7:24-29 - Building On Secure Foundations
In the Syrian summer, when the soil is baked hard by the intense heat, any spot will serve equally well as the site of a house. No one can say whether his neighbor has built well or ill-only the builder knows. But in the winter the rain falls in torrents and the valleys are filled with foaming floods, which sap all foundations that have not gripped the living rock.
To believe about Christ is not enough; we must believe in Him. We must come to Him as a Living Stone and become living stones, 1 Peter 2:4-8. We must not only listen to Him; we must obey Him. There must be living, unbroken unity and fellowship between Him and us. Then we may proceed to erect the structure of godly and holy living which shall grow into a holy temple in the Lord, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. May we receive, with meekness, the engrafting of the Word, which is able to save the soul! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 7

1  Do Not Judge
7  Ask, Seek, Knock
13  Enter through the Narrow Gate
15  A Tree and Its Fruit
24  The Wise and the Foolish Builders
28  Jesus ends his sermon, and the people are astonished

Greek Commentary for Matthew 7:26

And doeth them not [και μη ποιων αυτους]
The foolish builder put his house on the sands that could not hold in the storm. One is reminded of the words of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon in Matthew 5:19 about the one “who does and teaches.” Hearing sermons is a dangerous business if one does not put them into practice. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 7:26

Luke 6:49 Like a man [ομοιος εστιν αντρωπωι]
Associative instrumental case after ομοιος — homoios as in Luke 6:47.Upon the earth (επι την γην — epi tēn gēn). Matthew 7:26 has “upon the sand” (επι την αμμον — epi tēn ammon), more precise and worse than mere earth. But not on the rock.Without a foundation The foundation on the rock after deep digging as in Luke 6:48.It fell in (συνεπεσεν — sunepesen). Second aorist active of συνπιπτω — sunpiptō to fall together, to collapse. An old verb from Homer on, but only here in the N.T.The ruin The crash like a giant oak in the forest resounded far and wide. An old word for a rent or fracture as in medicine for laceration of a wound. Only here in the N.T. [source]
Luke 6:49 Upon the earth [επι την γην]
Matthew 7:26 has “upon the sand” (επι την αμμον — epi tēn ammon), more precise and worse than mere earth. But not on the rock. [source]
John 12:47 If any one [εαν τις]
Third-class condition with εαν — ean and first aorist active subjunctive Purpose clause again (cf. ινα κρινω — hina krinō just before) with ινα — hina and first aorist active of sōzō Exaggerated contrast again, “not so much to judge, but also to save.” See John 3:17 for same contrast. And yet Jesus does judge the world inevitably (John 8:15.; John 9:39), but his primary purpose is to save the world (John 3:16). See close of the Sermon on the Mount for the same insistence on hearing and keeping (obeying) the words of Jesus (Matthew 7:24, Matthew 7:26) and also Luke 11:28. [source]
1 Timothy 6:9 Foolish [ἀνοήτους]
Foolish answers to several words in N.T., ἀνοήτος, ἀσύνετος, ἄφρων, μωρός. Ἁνοήτος notunderstanding; a want of proper application of the moral judgment or perception, as Luke 24:25, note; Galatians 3:1, note. Ἄφρων is senseless, stupid, of images, beasts. Comp. Luke 12:20, note. Ἁσύνετος approaches the meaning of ἀνοήτος unintelligentSee 27:12. It also implies a moral sense, wicked, Wisd. 1:5; 11:15; Sirach 15:7. On the etymological sense, see on Matthew href="/desk/?q=mt+11:25&sr=1">Matthew 11:25; see on Mark 12:33; see on Luke 2:47. Μωρός is without forethought, as Matthew 7:26; Matthew 25:3; without learning, as 1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:18; with a moral sense, empty, useless, 2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9; and impious, godless, Matthew 5:22; Psalm 94:8; Jeremiah 5:21. [source]
James 4:17 To do good [καλον ποιειν]
“To do a good deed.”And doeth it not (και μη ποιουντι — kai mē poiounti). Dative again of the present active participle of ποιεω — poieō “and to one not doing it.” Cf. “not a doer” (James 1:23) and Matthew 7:26.Sin Unused knowledge of one‘s duty is sin, the sin of omission. Cf. Matthew 23:23. [source]
James 4:17 And doeth it not [και μη ποιουντι]
Dative again of the present active participle of ποιεω — poieō “and to one not doing it.” Cf. “not a doer” (James 1:23) and Matthew 7:26. [source]
1 John 3:10 Doeth not righteousness [ο μη ποιων δικαιοσυνην]
Habit (linear present participle) again of not doing righteousness, as in 1 John 3:7 of doing it. Cf. ποιει — poiei and μη ποιων — mē poiōn (doing and not doing) in Matthew 7:24, Matthew 7:26.Neither (και — kai). Literally, “and,” but with the ellipsis of ουκ εστιν εκ του τεου — ouk estin ek tou theou (is not of God). The addition here of this one item about not loving (μη αγαπων — mē agapōn) one‘s brother is like Paul‘s summary in Romans 13:9, a striking illustration of the general principle just laid down and in accord with 1 John 2:9-11. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 7:26 mean?

And everyone - hearing My - words these not doing them he will be likened to a man foolish who built of him the house upon sand
καὶ πᾶς ἀκούων μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους μὴ ποιῶν αὐτοὺς ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ μωρῷ ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ ἄμμον

πᾶς  everyone 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀκούων  hearing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
μου  My 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
τοὺς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λόγους  words 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
τούτους  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ποιῶν  doing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ὁμοιωθήσεται  he  will  be  likened 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὁμοιόω  
Sense: to be made like.
ἀνδρὶ  to  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
μωρῷ  foolish 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: μωρός  
Sense: foolish.
ᾠκοδόμησεν  built 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: οἰκοδομέω 
Sense: to build a house, erect a building.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
οἰκίαν  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
ἐπὶ  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἄμμον  sand 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἄμμος  
Sense: sand, sandy ground.

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