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English Revised Version
Matthew 12:34
Bible Study Resources
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- DailyParallel Translations
Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being euil, speake good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
"You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.
You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart.
"You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
O generations of vipers, howe can you speake good things, when ye are euill? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts.
You snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what overflows from the heart.
Offspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
You snakes! You are so evil. How can you say anything good? What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.
O generation of scorpions, how can you speak good things when you are bad? For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart.
You snakes—how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Offspring of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
You offspring of snakes, how are you, being evil, able to say good things? because out of the heart's store come the words of the mouth.
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.Matthew 3:7; 23:33; Luke 6:45;">[xr]
Brood of vipers ! how can you speak good who are evil? For from the abundancies of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Offspring of vipers, how can ye who are evil, speak good things? For out of the fullnesses of the heart the mouth speaketh.
O generation of vipers, howe can ye speake good thynges, when ye your selues are euyll? For out of the aboundauce of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Ye brood of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
O vipers' brood, how can you speak what is good when you are evil? For it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Ye generacioun of eddris, hou moun ye speke goode thingis, whanne ye ben yuele? For the mouth spekith of plente of the herte.
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
You family of snakes! How can you say good things when you are sinful? The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Broods of vipers! How can ye speak, good things, being, evil? For, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
O generacio of viperes how can ye saye well whe ye youre selves are evyll? For of ye aboundace of the hert ye mouthe speaketh.
`Brood of vipers! how are ye able to speak good things -- being evil? for out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak.
O ye generacio of vypers, how can ye speake good, whan ye youre selues are euell? For of ye abundace of ye hert ye mouth speaketh.
O degenerate race, how can ye, wicked as ye are, utter any thing that is good? for "'tis the overflowing of the heart that the mouth dischargeth."
"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."
Y'all know-it-alls are a den of snakes! How can a snake tell someone what is good? Whatever is in your heart will spill up and out of your mouth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
generation: Matthew 3:7, Matthew 23:33, Luke 3:7, John 8:44, 1 John 3:10
how: 1 Samuel 24:13, Psalms 10:6, Psalms 10:7, Psalms 52:2-5, Psalms 53:1, Psalms 64:3, Psalms 64:5, Psalms 120:2-4, Psalms 140:2, Psalms 140:3, Isaiah 32:6, Isaiah 59:4, Isaiah 59:14, Jeremiah 7:2-5, Romans 3:10-14, James 3:5-8
for: Luke 6:45
Reciprocal: Genesis 3:15 - thy seed Exodus 35:21 - General 1 Samuel 1:16 - out of 2 Chronicles 9:1 - communed Nehemiah 6:8 - thou feignest Job 2:10 - In all this Psalms 14:1 - abominable Psalms 36:1 - The transgression Psalms 59:7 - belch Psalms 94:4 - shall Psalms 119:13 - I declared Psalms 119:172 - tongue Psalms 145:7 - abundantly Proverbs 6:12 - walketh Proverbs 10:11 - but Proverbs 10:16 - the fruit Proverbs 10:20 - the heart Proverbs 15:7 - the heart Proverbs 15:26 - but Proverbs 15:28 - the mouth Proverbs 16:23 - heart Proverbs 18:4 - words Isaiah 6:5 - a man Isaiah 9:17 - every mouth Isaiah 44:18 - cannot Isaiah 57:3 - sons Isaiah 59:5 - crushed breaketh out into a viper Isaiah 59:13 - speaking Isaiah 65:2 - after Matthew 6:21 - there Matthew 11:16 - this Matthew 12:35 - and an Matthew 15:11 - but Matthew 15:18 - General Matthew 23:28 - but Mark 7:15 - but Mark 7:20 - General John 6:44 - man John 20:15 - if Acts 2:40 - untoward Acts 28:3 - came Romans 3:13 - with their Romans 8:7 - neither Ephesians 4:29 - no Ephesians 5:4 - filthiness Colossians 4:6 - your 2 Peter 2:14 - that cannot Revelation 13:6 - he opened Revelation 14:5 - in
Gill's Notes on the Bible
O generation of vipers,.... Though they boasted of their being the seed of Abraham, yet their immediate ancestors were no other than vipers, deceitful, hurtful, poisonous creatures; and they were exactly like them: for though they made a fair show in the flesh, and outwardly appeared righteous, yet were inwardly full of the poison of wickedness, envy and malice; and which their pestilential breath, their blasphemy against the Spirit, fully discovered; and gave just cause and reason for so severe a reproof, and such resentment, as here made by Christ.
How can ye, being evil, speak good things? This is not to be expected, nor is it commonly and constantly done; an evil man may sometimes speak good things, or which seem to be so; but these are not his common talk; as he is, so, for the most part, is his language; his speech betrays him: and since these men were by nature evil, were destitute of the Spirit and grace of God, had no good thing in them, how should any good thing come out of them? And since they were so full of wickedness, spite and malice, it is no wonder that they belched out such blasphemous expressions concerning the miracles of Christ;
for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: a phrase much like this is used by the Septuagint, in Ecclesiastes 2:15. "I spoke abundance", or "much in my heart"; διοτο ο αφρων εκ περισσευματος
λαλει, "for the fool out of his abundance speaketh": as there is abundance of folly in him, there is much delivered out by him; and where there is abundance of wickedness in the heart, if the grace of God is wanting to restrain it, much of it will come out by the lips; as is a man's heart, ordinarily is his language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
O 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 of the “heart” produced the words of the lips. “Vipers” are a poisonous kind of serpents, not often a yard long, and about an inch thick, having a flat head. The males have two large teeth, through which a most deadly poison is thrown into the wound made by the bite. They are an emblem of malignity and mischief. These were strong expressions to be used by the meek and lowly Jesus; but they were not the effect of anger and malice; they were a declaration of the true character of the people with whom he was conversing - a declaration most justly deserved. See the notes at Matthew 3:7.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 34. O 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 (περισσευματος, 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 considered as the overflowings of a heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit, and running over with love to God and man.
