Luke 6:44 (KJV)

What does Luke 6:44 mean?

In Luke 6:44, Jesus says that what a person produces reveals something about the person’s character. He uses a familiar picture from nature: the kind of fruit a tree bears shows what kind of tree it is.

Jesus speaks to his disciples in the hearing of a larger crowd. After describing good and corrupt trees in verse 43, he gives two concrete examples: people do not pick figs from thorns or grapes from a bramble bush. His listeners would have known figs and grapes as common foods.

The Greek behind Luke 6:44

• “known” — γινώσκω (ginōskō): This word carries the sense of recognizing or coming to know. In this verse, the fruit provides the visible evidence by which the tree can be identified.
• “own” — ἴδιος (idios): This word means belonging to someone or something. The Greek emphasizes that each tree is identified by the fruit that belongs to that particular tree.

Why Luke 6:44 matters

• Jesus connects outward expression with what is inside a person. In verse 45, he goes on to speak of good or evil coming from what is stored in the heart, and of the mouth speaking from its abundance.
• The examples point to a match between the source and what comes from it. “Thorns” and a “bramble bush” stand in contrast to the figs and grapes people hope to gather; the source matters when identifying the fruit.