Matthew 12:34–37
Jesus: the mouth speaks from what fills the heart
Study it word by word34Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35The good person brings out good things from his good treasure, and the evil person brings out evil things from his evil treasure.
36And I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment;
37for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”
In its context
32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by its fruit the tree is known.
…
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39But he answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Its words in the original
- γεννήματαgennēmata· offspring, brood
Offspring, brood, what is born of a parent; "brood of vipers".
- ἐχιδνῶνechidnōn· viper
Viper: a poisonous snake.
- δύνασθεdynasthe· can, be able
Can, be able.
- ἀγαθὰagatha· good
Good.
- λαλεῖνlalein· speak
Speak, talk.
- πονηροὶponēroi· evil, wicked
Bad, wicked. "The evil one": the devil.
- ὄντεςontes· be
Be, exist.
- περισσεύματοςperisseumatos· abundance
Abundance, what is left over; what fills the heart.
- καρδίαςkardias· heart
Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- στόμαstoma· mouth
Mouth.
- ἄνθρωποςanthrōpos· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- θησαυροῦthēsaurou· treasure
Treasure; a storehouse or chest where something of value is kept.
- ἐκβάλλειekballei· throw out, drive out
Throw out, put out, drive out.
- λέγωlegō· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ῥῆμαrhēma· word, saying
Word, something said; also matter, thing.
- ἀργὸνargon· idle, useless
Idle, without work; useless, careless, good for nothing.
- ἀποδώσουσινapodōsousin· give back, pay
Pay, give back, give what is owed.
- λόγονlogon· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- ἡμέρᾳhēmerai· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- κρίσεωςkriseōs· judgment
Judgment; also the court that judges.
- δικαιωθήσῃdikaiōthēsēi· declare righteous
Declare righteous: pronounce someone right before God, acquit; also show to be right. In the passive, "be declared righteous", "be acquitted".
- καταδικασθήσῃkatadikasthēsēi· condemn
Condemn, pronounce guilty.