Overview
Matthew 12:34 is the 34th verse in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Content
In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort, this verse is: :Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροὶ ὄντες; Ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: :O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The New International Version translates the passage as: :You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Analysis
Christ here calls the Pharisees vipers, because they spoke viperous words and calumnies, trying to defame Christ and cut Him off. It is said they had hearts of vipers, since they were full of the poison of envy, pride, hatred and malice against Christ. Thus from what is in one's heart one speaks. So when the mind and the will are full of goodness and charity, one says good and loving things. However, if someone is in the gall of malice and envy, they will speak words of gall and envy and bitterness.
Commentary from the Church Fathers
Chrysostom: "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 characters of those things which had been said. As though He had said, So ye being corrupt trees cannot bring forth good fruit. I do not wonder then that you thus speak, for you are ill nourished of ill parentage, and have an evil mind. And observe He said not, How can ye speak good things, seeing ye are a generation of vipers? for these two are not connected together; but He said, How can ye being evil speak good things? He calls them generation of vipers, because they made boast of their forefathers; in order therefore to cut off this their pride, He shuts them out of the race of Abraham, assigning them a parentage corresponding to their characters."
External links
*Other translations of Matthew 12:34 at BibleHub