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.

◄ Matthew 7:26 ►

New International Version
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

New Living Translation
But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.

English Standard Version
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Berean Standard Bible
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 Literal Bible
And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not acting on them, he will be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

King James Bible
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:

New King James Version
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

New American Standard Bible
And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

NASB 1995
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

NASB 1977
“And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

Legacy Standard Bible
And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Amplified Bible
And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand.

Christian Standard Bible
But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

American Standard Version
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:

Contemporary English Version
Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn't obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Everyone who hears what I say but doesn't obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand.

Good News Translation
"But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

International Standard Version
"Everyone who keeps on hearing these messages of mine and never puts them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

New Heart English Bible
And everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

Webster's Bible Translation
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

Weymouth New Testament
And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.

World English Bible
Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And everyone who is hearing these words of Mine, and is not doing them, will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand;

Berean Literal Bible
And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not acting on them, he will be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

Young's Literal Translation
'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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And every one hearing these my words and doing them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house upon sand.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And every one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

New American Bible
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

New Revised Standard Version
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And whoever hears these words of mine, and does them not, is like a foolish man, who built his house upon sand.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And everyone who hears these my words, but does not practice them, will be likened to the foolish man who built his house on sand.

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And every one that hears these words of mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

Godbey New Testament
And every one hearing these words of mine, and doing them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

Haweis New Testament
And every man who is hearing these sayings of mine, and doth not practise them, he will resemble the foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

Mace New Testament
but every one that heareth these instructions of mine, and practiseth them not, shall be compared to a fool who built his house upon the sand:

Weymouth New Testament
And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.

Worrell New Testament
"And every one who hears these words of Mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who, indeed, built his house upon the sand:

Worsley New Testament
And whoever heareth these words of mine, and performeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The House on the Rock
…25The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

James 1:22-24
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

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!”

Ezekiel 33:31-32
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. / Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Proverbs 14:1
Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Proverbs 10:25
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, / his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. / If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ...

Hebrews 4:2
For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

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?

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

1 John 2:4
If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Hosea 8:12
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.

John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Psalm 127:1
A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.

2 Timothy 3:7
who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Treasury of Scripture

And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house on the sand:

doeth.

1 Samuel 2:30
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Proverbs 14:1
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Jeremiah 8:9
The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

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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.

Berean Study Bible

But everyone who hears these words of Mine
This phrase emphasizes the universality of Jesus' message. The Greek word for "hears" is "akouō," which implies not just the act of hearing but also understanding and internalizing. Jesus is addressing all who have the opportunity to listen to His teachings, highlighting the inclusive nature of His call. The phrase "these words of Mine" underscores the authority of Jesus' teachings, as He speaks with divine authority, not merely as a human teacher. In the historical context, this would have been a radical assertion, as Jesus places His words on par with the divine law.

and does not act on them
The Greek word for "act" is "poieō," which means to do, make, or execute. This implies that hearing alone is insufficient; there must be a corresponding action. The call to action is a consistent theme in Jesus' teachings, emphasizing that faith must be demonstrated through deeds. This reflects the Jewish understanding of faith as inherently linked to action, as seen in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), where love for God is expressed through obedience.

is like a foolish man
The term "foolish" is translated from the Greek word "mōros," which can mean dull or stupid, but in a biblical sense, it often refers to moral and spiritual insensitivity. In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, a fool is someone who disregards God's wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). Jesus uses this term to describe someone who hears His words but fails to implement them, highlighting the spiritual peril of ignoring divine wisdom.

who built his house on sand
Building on sand is a metaphor for instability and lack of foundation. In the geographical context of ancient Palestine, sand would have been an unsuitable foundation for a structure, especially in areas prone to sudden floods. This imagery would resonate with Jesus' audience, who understood the importance of a solid foundation for survival. Spiritually, this represents a life built on anything other than the teachings of Christ, which cannot withstand the trials and challenges of life. The house symbolizes one's life or spiritual state, and sand represents anything transient or unreliable compared to the eternal truth of Jesus' words.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 26, 27. - 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: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it. In the Plain of Sharon the clay seems to have been so interior that not only were the jars made of it often worthless, but the bricks could offer so little resistance to the weather that the houses were hardly safe. Hence a special prayer was offered by the high priest on the Day of Atonement that the Lord would grant that their houses might not become their tombs (Talm. Jeremiah, 'Yoma,' 5:2 [Schwab, p. 218]; cf. Neubauer, 'Geograph.,' p. 48). In the parable, however, it is not the structure, but the foundation, that is wrong. The sand may refer, as Stanley suggests ('Sinai and Palestine,' ch. 13. p. 430), to one locality, in which case it is probably "the long sandy strip of land which bounds the eastern plain of Acre, and through which the Kishon flows into the sea;" or, as would seem more probable, to the sand which would naturally be found on the edges of such a torrent as is here described. Beat upon; smote upon (Revised Version). In ver. 25 the thought is more of the swoop of the tempest (προσέπεσαν); here, of its impact on the house (προσέκοψαν). It is possible that there is here less indication of force necessary for the destruction. "It needed only the first blow, and the house fell" (Weiss, 'Matthaus-ev.'). And great was the fall of it. Our Lord's solemn verdict of the utter ruin awaiting him who does not put his assent into action. The clause conveys an impression even stronger than ver. 23. There the positive worker of lawlessness is banished from Christ's presence; here, on the mere non-worker of Divine messages received is pronounced ruin and (for such, at least, seems suggested) that irremediable.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

But
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

everyone
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

who
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

hears
ἀκούων (akouōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

these
τούτους (toutous)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

words
λόγους (logous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

of Mine
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

does not act on
ποιῶν (poiōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

them
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

is like
ὁμοιωθήσεται (homoiōthēsetai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3666: To make like, liken; I compare. From homoios; to assimilate, i.e. Compare; passively, to become similar.

a foolish
μωρῷ (mōrō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3474: Probably from the base of musterion; dull or stupid, i.e. Heedless, blockhead, absurd.

man
ἀνδρὶ (andri)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

who
ὅστις (hostis)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

built
ᾠκοδόμησεν (ōkodomēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3618: From the same as oikodome; to be a house-builder, i.e. Construct or confirm.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

house
οἰκίαν (oikian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3614: From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

sand.
ἄμμον (ammon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 285: Sand, sandy ground. Perhaps from hama; sand.

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NT Gospels: Matthew 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine (Matt. Mat Mt)