Matthew 12:34 (WEB)
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Fathers and councils · 23
Athanasius of Alexandria
“…them, when they fall in with boys in the market-place, question them, not out of divine Scripture, but thus, as if bursting with ‘the abundance of their heart;’—‘He who is, did He make him who was not, from that which was [not], or him who was? therefore did He make the Son, whereas He was, or whereas He was not?’” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment“Of such as are fools in their thoughts, the actions are wicked, as He saith, ‘can ye, being evil, speak good things;’ for they were evil, because they thought wickedness.” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment
Cyprian of Carthage
“A good man out of the good treasure bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34, 35.
Read the whole comment
Augustine of Hippo
“To whom the Lord saith, “How can ye, being evil, speak good things?”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment“Hear out of the Gospel His own voice, the very same as is in this Psalm: “Hypocrites,” saith the Lord to the Pharisees, “how are ye able good things to speak, when ye are evil men?.…Either make the tree good, and the fruit thereof good: or make the tree evil, and the fruit thereof evil.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 33, 34.
Read the whole comment“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation;” and so on, down to the words, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 23–37.
Read the whole comment““Ye hypocrites, how can ye speak good things, while ye are evil?”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment“Then also in that passage, when He had made mention of these two trees, He added, “Ye hypocrites, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 33, 34.
Read the whole comment“Ye hypocrites, how can ye being evil speak good things?’”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 35, 34.
Read the whole comment
Catena Aurea on Mark
- Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Mark
“For those things which men wonder at they soon divulge, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” [Matt. 12:34]” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment
John Chrysostom
“Then since He is arguing not for Himself, but for the Spirit, He hath dealt out His reproof even as a torrent, saying, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment
Basil the Great
“I do not mean that my memory is impressed with your outward appearance, but that the beauty of the inner man has been brought home to me by the rich variety of your utterances, for each of us “speaketh out of the abundance of the heart.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment
Gregory of Nazianzus
“The sentence The world cannot hate you, comes under the same head, as does also How can ye, being evil, speak good things?” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34.
Read the whole comment
Clement of Alexandria
“The Lord acknowledges a twofold treasure,—the good: “For the good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good;” and the evil: for “the evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil: for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 34, 35.
Read the whole comment
Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
After his former answers He here again refutes them in another manner. This He does not in order to do away their charges against Himself, but desiring to amend them, saying, “Either make the tree good and his fruit…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Thus He holds them in a syllogism which the Greeks call ‘Aphycton,’ the unavoidable; which shuts in the person questioned on both sides, and presses him with either horn. If, He saith, the Devil be evil, he cannot do…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For the discerning of a tree is done by its fruits, not the fruits by the tree. “A tree is known by its fruits.” For though the tree is the cause of the fruit, yet the fruit is the evidence of the tree. But ye do the…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
Thus did He at that present refute the Jews, who seeing Christ’s works to be of power more than human, would notwithstanding not allow the hand of God. And at the same time He convicts all future errors of the faith,…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or this is an admonition to ourselves that we should be good trees that we may be able to bring forth good fruit; “Make the tree good, and its fruit good,” is a precept of health to which obedience is necessary. But…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
But as speaking not for Himself but for the Holy Spirit, He accordingly rebukes them, saying, “Generation of vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things?” This is both a rebuke of them, and a proof in their own…
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or the words, “Generation of vipers,” may be taken as signifying children, or imitators of the Devil, because they had wilfully spoken against good works, which is of the Devil, and thence follows, “Out of the…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Herein also He shews His Godhead as knowing the hidden things of the heart; for not for words only, yea but for evil thoughts also they shall receive punishment. For it is the order of nature that the store of the…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
What He says, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart, &c.” is either pointed against the Jews, that seeing they blasphemed God, what treasure in their heart must that be out of which such blasphemy…
Read the whole comment
Cross-references · 25
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.24 and 1 other place.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.24 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Mark 1:23–28 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Mark 1:23–28 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Mark 1:23–28 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Mark 1:23–28 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Glossa Ordinaria on Mark 1:23–28 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 24.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 24.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Letters Letter 197.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 24.
Cited together in Letters Letter 197.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.24.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Letters Letter 197.
Cited together in Against the Arians I.6.
Cited together in Letters Letter 197.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 24.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.24.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.24.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 24.