Matthew 7 · Verse 21

Matthew 7:21

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21, King James Version

Matthew 7:21 in other translations

BSBNot everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
WEB“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
ASVNot every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
YLT‘Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens.
DARBYNot every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that does the will of my Father who is in the heavens.
BBENot everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will go into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the pleasure of my Father in heaven.
WebsterNot every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.

What does Matthew 7:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord--the reduplication of the title "Lord" denoting zeal in according it to Christ (see Mr 14:45). Yet our Lord claims and expects this of all His disciples, as when He washed their feet: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am" (Joh 13:13). shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven--that will which it had been the great object of this discourse to set forth. Yet our Lord says warily, not "the will of your Father," but "of My Father"; thus claiming a relationship to His Father with which His disciples might not intermeddle, and which He never lets down. And He so speaks here to give authority to His asseverations. But now He rises higher still--not formally announcing Himself as the Judge, but intimating what men will say to Him, and He to them, when He sits as their final judge.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Not every one that saith, etc. He goes on to say that many, on the ground of that profession, will claim admittance into his kingdom. Many will plead that they had done miracles, and preached or prophesied much, and will demand an entrance into heaven. The power of working miracles had no necessary connexion with piety. God may as well, if he chooses, give the power of raising the dead to a wicked man, as the skill of healing to a wicked physician. A miracle is a display of his own power through the medium of another. An act of healing the sick is also a display of his power through the agency of another. In neither of these cases is there any necessary connexion with moral character. So of preaching, or prophesying. God may use the agency of a man of talents, though not pious, to carry forward his purposes. Saving power on the mind is the work of God; and he may convey it by any agency which he may choose. Accordingly, many may be found in the day of judgment who may have been endowed with powers of prophecy, or miracle, as Balaam, or the magicians of Egypt; in the same way as many men of distinguished talents may be found yet destitute of piety, and shut out of his kingdom. See Mk 9:38, Lk 9:49, 1Cor 13:1-3. In this last place, Paul says, that though he spoke with the tongue of angels, and had the gift of prophecy, and could remove mountains, and had not charity or love, all would be of no avail. 1Cor 13:1-3.

(h) "Lord, Lord" Is 48:1,2, Mt 25:11,12, Lk 6:46, 13:25, Rom 2:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Not every one - Ου πας, a Hebraism, say some, for no person. It is a Graecism and a Latinism too: ου παντων θεων, not All of the gods, i.e. not Any of the gods, Hom. Odyss. Z. 240. So Terence Sine omni periclo, without All danger, i.e. without Any danger. And Juvenal: Sine omni labe, without All imperfection, i.e. without Any. See more in Mr. Wakefield. The sense of this verse seems to be this: No person, by merely acknowledging my authority, believing in the Divinity of my nature, professing faith in the perfection of my righteousness, and infinite merit of my atonement, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven - shall have any part with God in glory; but he who doeth the will of my Father - he who gets the bad tree rooted up, the good tree planted, and continues to bring forth fruit to the glory and praise of God. There is a good saying among the rabbins on this subject. "A man should be as vigorous as a panther, as swift as an eagle, as fleet as a stag, and as strong as a lion, to do the will of his Creator."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 7:21-29
Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. Let us take heed of resting in outward privileges and doings, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand. Let every one that names the name of Christ, depart from all sin. There are others, whose religion rests in bare hearing, and it goes no further; their heads are filled with empty notions. These two sorts of hearers are represented as two builders. This parable teaches us to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus: some may seem hard to flesh and blood, but they must be done. Christ is laid for a foundation, and every thing besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon an outward profession of religion. Upon these they venture; but they are all sand, too weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven. There is a storm coming that will try every man's work. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite? The house fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another. May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. The multitudes were astonished at the wisdom and power of Christ's doctrine. And this sermon, ever so often read over, is always new. Every word proves its Author to be Divine. Let us be more and more decided and earnest, making some one or other of these blessednesses and Christian graces the main subject of our thoughts, even for weeks together. Let us not rest in general and confused desires after them, whereby we grasp at all, but catch nothing.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Matthew 7:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΟὐOuNotG3756
πᾶςpaseveryoneG3956
ὁhowhoG3588
λέγωνlegōnis sayingG3004
μοι·moito Me;G3165
κύριεkurieLordG2962
κύριε,kurieLord,G2962
εἰσελεύσεταιeiseleusetaiwill enterG1525
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēntheG3588
βασιλείανbasileiankingdomG932
τῶνtōnof theG3588
οὐρανῶν,ouranōnheavens,G3772
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ὁhothe [one]G3588
ποιῶνpoiōndoingG4160
τὸtotheG3588
θέλημαthelēmawillG2307
τοῦtouof theG3588
πατρόςpatrosFatherG3962
μουmouof MineG3165
τοῦtouwho [is]G3588
ἐνeninG1722
οὐρανοῖς.ouranoisheavens.G3772

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 7:21

  • Romans 2:13

    (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

  • Luke 6:46

    And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

  • James 1:22

    But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

  • Luke 11:28

    But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

  • Titus 1:16

    They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

  • Hebrews 4:6

    Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

  • Matthew 25:11-12

    Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

  • John 6:40

    And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

  • Revelation 3:5

    He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

  • Matthew 10:32-33

    Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

  • Matthew 12:50

    For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

  • Hebrews 13:21

    Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
saith.
25:11,12; Ho 8:2,3; Lu 6:46; 13:25; Ac 19:13-20; Ro 2:13; Tit 1:16
Jas 1:22; 2:20-26
shall.
18:3; 19:24; 21:31; 25:11,12,21; Isa 48:1,2; Mr 9:47; 10:23,24
Lu 18:25; Joh 3:5; Ac 14:22; Heb 4:6
that.
12:50; 21:29-31; Mr 3:35; Lu 11:28; Joh 6:40; 7:17; Ro 12:2; Eph 6:6
Col 4:12; 1Th 4:3; 5:18; Heb 13:21; 1Pe 2:15; 4:2; 1Jo 3:21-24
Re 22:14
my.
10:32,33; 16:17; 18:10,19,35; 26:39,42; Joh 5:17; 10:29,30; 14:7
Joh 15:23; Re 2:27; 3:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 7:20

    Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

  • Matthew 7:21

    Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

  • Matthew 7:22

    Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Read all of Matthew 7

Matthew 7:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos: mas el que hiciere la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ce ne sont pas tous ceux qui me disent: Seigneur, Seigneur, qui entreront dans le royaume des cieux; mais celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est dans les cieux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Nicht jeder, der zu mir sagt: Herr, Herr! wird in das Reich der Himmel eingehen, sondern wer den Willen meines Vaters tut, der in den Himmeln ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non omnis qui dicit mihi, Domine, Domine, intrabit in regnum cælorum: sed qui facit voluntatem Patris mei, qui in cælis est, ipse intrabit in regnum cælorum.