Matthew 7:26

But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses the crowds and his disciples as he concludes the Sermon on the Mount, contrasting a listener who obeys with one who ignores his teaching. He frames the warning at the moment of final judgment by comparing inaction to building on unstable ground.

The words — The participle ἀκούων (akouōn) literally means "is hearing," denoting continuous, attentive listening rather than a single auditory event.

The thread — The text describes the foolish builder and is paralleled in Luke 6:49, which uses identical imagery of a foundationless house. The warning against rejecting divine instruction aligns with Jeremiah 8:9, where the wise face shame for refusing the word.

Why it lands — The passage states that hearing Jesus' words without obedience results in catastrophic collapse, explicitly labeling the listener foolish. It requires the reader to translate auditory reception into immediate action to withstand inevitable trials.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

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:

Cross-references

Jeremiah 8:9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?
Luke 6:49 But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”
James 2:20 O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
1 Samuel 2:30 Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.