Matthew 12:34

Matthew 12:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
• New International Version (NIV)You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Context of Matthew 12:34

32God will forgive people who say bad things against me, the Son of Man. But God will never forgive people who say bad things against the Holy Spirit.’ He will not forgive them now or ever. 33Then Jesus said, ‘To have good fruit you must have a good tree. If you have a bad tree, then you will get bad fruit from it. You can know all about a tree by the kind of fruit that it makes. You are like the children of dangerous snakes. You cannot say good things when your thoughts are bad. When you speak, your words show what is in your mind. 35It is like things that you bring out of a room where you keep them. The good man says good things because he keeps good thoughts in his mind. The bad man says bad things because he keeps bad thoughts in his mind. 36I tell you this: One day, God will judge everybody. On that day, he will ask you about every useless word that you have spoken.

Matthew 12:34 word by word

γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν πονηροὶ ὄντες; ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• O generationγέννημαgennēma · offspringG1081
• of vipersἔχιδναechidna · snakeG2191
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• can yeδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• good thingsἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• of the abundanceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of the abundanceπερίσσευμαperisseuma · overflowG4051
• of the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• the mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750

Cross-references for Matthew 12:34

• Matthew 3:7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to John. They wanted John to baptize them. He said to them, ‘You are like dangerous snakes. God is angry. You are trying to run away from him. But he will soon punish people like you.
• Matthew 23:33You are like a family of dangerous snakes! You will not be able to run away. God will surely punish you, and he will send you to hell.
• Luke 3:7Crowds of people were going out into the wilderness. They wanted John to baptize them. He told them, ‘You are like dangerous snakes! God is angry. You are trying to run away from him. But he will soon punish people like you.
• John 8:44You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do the things that he wants. From the beginning, he has been someone who murders people. He refuses to accept the truth, because there is nothing true in him. When he tells lies, he is showing what he is really like. He always tells lies. He is the father of all lies.
• 1 John 3:10In this way, we can see clearly who are God's children and who are the Devil's children. Anyone who does not live in a way that is good and right does not belong to God. People like that do not love other believers.
• 1 Samuel 24:13You know the proverb, “Evil people do evil things.” But I will never try to hurt you.
• Psalms 10:6He says to himself, ‘There will be no trouble for me. Nothing bad will ever happen to me or to my children.’
• Psalms 52:2Your tongue is like a sharp knife! You talk about how to hurt other people, You speak nothing but lies.
• Psalms 53:1A fool thinks that there is no God. People like that are bad. They do evil things. None of them does anything that is good.
• Psalms 64:3Their tongues are like sharp swords that hurt people. Their cruel words are like arrows that they shoot at people.
• Psalms 120:2I prayed, ‘Lord, keep me safe from people who tell lies. Save me from people who want to deceive me.’
• Psalms 140:2They think of evil ideas to hurt people. They only want to cause trouble!
• Isaiah 32:6Stupid people say silly things. They think of evil things that they can do. They live in a way that does not respect God. The things that they teach about the Lord are false. They keep food away from hungry people. They give no drink to thirsty people.
• Isaiah 59:4When people accuse somebody in court, the truth is not important. They tell lies and they deceive the judge, so that they will win. They decide how they can cause trouble, and then they do wicked things.
• Jeremiah 7:2‘Stand at the gate of the Lord's temple and speak this message. Say, “Listen to the Lord's message, all you people of Judah. You come through this gate to worship the Lord.
• Romans 3:10This is written in the Bible: ‘There is nobody who is right with God. There is not even one person who is like that.

Commentaries on Matthew 12:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34O generation of vipers - These are apparently severe words; but they were extremely proper in reference to that execrable people to whom they were addressed: the whole verse is an inference from what was spoken before. Out of the abundance (, the overflowings) of the heart - Wicked words and sinful actions may be considered as the overflowings of a heart that is more than full of the spirit of wickedness; and holy words and righteous deeds may be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34O generation of vipers! - Christ here applies the argument which he had suggested in the previous verse. They were a wicked race; like poisonous reptiles, with a corrupt and evil nature. They could not be expected to speak good things - that is, to speak favorably of him and his works. As the bad fruit of a tree was the proper effect of its “nature,” so were their words about him and his works the proper effect of their nature. The “abundance” or fullness…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-37Verses 33-37 Men's language discovers what country they are of, likewise what manner of spirit they are of. The heart is the fountain, words are the streams. A troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring, must send forth muddy and unpleasant streams. Nothing but the salt of grace, cast into the spring, will heal the waters, season the speech, and purify the corrupt communication. An evil man has an evil treasure in his heart, and out of it brings forth evil…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 33-37Jesus addressed the main issue. The Pharisees did not accept him or believe his work came from God because they were wicked (see 7:15–27).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. O generation of vipers--(See on Mt 3:7). how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh--a principle obvious enough, yet of deepest significance and vast application. In Lu 6:45 we find it uttered as part of the discourse delivered after the choice of the apostles.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:34

• Depravity of Man
• Heart
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles
• Regeneration
• Sin
• Speaking
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Adulterous
• Condemn
• Desolation
• Heart
• Idle
• Judgment
• Restore
• Sin
• Viper
• Wither

Commentaries on Matthew 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings