Matthew Chapter 3 verse 10 Holy Bible
And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
read chapter 3 in ASV
And even now the axe is put to the root of the trees; every tree then which does not give good fruit is cut down, and put into the fire.
read chapter 3 in BBE
And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
read chapter 3 in DARBY
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
read chapter 3 in KJV
read chapter 3 in WBT
"Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.
read chapter 3 in WEB
and now also, the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree therefore not bearing good fruit is hewn down, and to fire is cast.
read chapter 3 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 10. - And now also; Revised Version, and even now. "And" (δὲ), slightly adversative. In contrast to the delay supposed in ver. 9 a, preparations have already been made for your destruction. The axe is laid; Revised Version, is the axe laid; bringing out more emphatically its present position. The American Revisers propose, "the axe lieth at," avoiding the suggestion of an agent; but κεῖμαι often implies one, being used of vessels set ready for use; e.g. John 2:6; John 19:29 (cf. Revelation 4:2). Unto (πρὸς); brought near to (Thayer, s.v., 1:2, a). Therefore. The axe is lying there, therefore every useless tree is sure to be cut down (cf. Winer, 40:2, a). Every tree, etc.; even the noblest (Weiss). However good the tree ought to be, from the character of its original stock (you claim to be Abraham's children, ver. 9), yet, if it does not bear good fruit, it is cut down (Matthew 7:19, note). Into the fire (εἰς πῦρ). Not into a fire prepared with a definite purpose, nor into any one fire pictured as burning (Matthew 17:15; cf. τὸ πῦρ, John 15:6), but into fire generally, which may be in many different places. Worthless trees are only for burning. (For thought, cf. Hebrews 6:8.)
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) Now.--Rather, already. The present of an act no longer future.The ax is laid unto the root of the trees.--The symbolism which saw in "trees" the representatives of human characters, of nations, and institutions, had been recognised in Isaiah's parable of the vine (Isaiah 5:1-7), in Jeremiah's of the vine and the olive (Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 11:16), and the Baptist's application of it was but a natural extension. Judgments that were only partial or corrective were as the pruning of the branches (John 15:2). Now the axe was laid to the root, and the alternative was preservation or destruction. For the unfruitful tree there was the doom of fire.
