Matthew Chapter 12 verse 34 Holy Bible

ASV Matthew 12:34

Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
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BBE Matthew 12:34

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.
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DARBY Matthew 12:34

Offspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
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KJV Matthew 12:34

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
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WBT Matthew 12:34


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WEB Matthew 12:34

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
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YLT Matthew 12:34

`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.
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 34. - The first clause is in Matthew only. O generation (ye offspring, Revised Version) of vipers (Matthew 3:7, note). Observe that the figure of the tree had also been used by the Baptist (Matthew 3:10). How can ye. It is against nature. Being evil; i.e. inherently worthless (Matthew 6:13, note); cf. πονηροὶ ὄντες, Matthew 7:11. Speak good things. For out of the abundance; i.e. even to overflowing (περίσσευμα: cf. Mark 8:8, of what remained after all were filled). Of the heart the mouth speaketh. In Ephesians 4:29 there is apparently a reminiscence of this saying in connexion with our ver. 33 (cf. also James 3:10-12).

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(34) O generation of vipers.--Better, as in Matthew 3:7, brood of vipers. Here the law which had been pressed in its logical bearing in the preceding verse, is brought in to explain the bitter and evil words of the Pharisees. As long as they were what they were, nothing else was to be looked for. Nothing but the serpent's hiss could come from the brood of vipers, nothing but bitter words from hearts so full of bitterness.