Bible Strands
Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scribes who have just accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul (v. 24). This is the middle of his rebuttal, between the tree-and-fruit argument (v. 33) and the treasure-of-the-heart conclusion (v. 35).
The words — gennēmata (γεννῆματα) is a strong, vivid noun for "offspring" or "brood," the kind of word that marks a lineage, paired here with echidnōn (vipers) to make the charge biological rather than merely moral. Ponēroi (πονηροί) is the flat adjective "evil" applied to them as a settled state, not a single act.
The thread — The same principle recurs in Luke 6:45 (good/evil treasure of the heart) and Matthew 15:18 (what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart and defiles). The tree-and-fruit frame in vv. 33 and 35 brackets this verse as the logical hinge.
Why it lands — It makes speech a diagnostic rather than a performance: the question is not whether you can produce good words under pressure but whether your heart actually contains them.
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
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Cross-references
- Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
- Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.
- Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- 1 Samuel 24:13 As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.
- James 3:5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze.
- Psalms 140:2 who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long.
- Isaiah 32:6 For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.
- Matthew 12:35 The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
- 1 John 3:10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
- John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.