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Matthew 12:35

The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    A good man oute of the good treasure of his hert bringeth forth good thynges. And an evyll man out of his evyll treasure bringeth forth evyll thinges.

  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth foorth good things: and an euill man out of an euill treasure, bringeth forth euill things.

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Cross-references (14)

Passages linked to Matthew 12:35 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.
  • Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
  • Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.
  • Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
  • Proverbs 25:11-12 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
  • 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.
  • Proverbs 10:20-21 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
  • Proverbs 16:21-23 The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly. The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
  • Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
  • Psalms 37:30-31 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide.
  • Proverbs 12:6 The words of the wicked are about lying in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
  • Proverbs 15:23 Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!
  • Proverbs 12:17-19 He who is truthful testifies honestly, but a false witness lies. There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals. Truth’s lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only momentary.
  • Matthew 13:52 He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (9 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 35 A good man out of the good treasure…

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Ver. 35. Out of the good treasure, &c.] Out of his habit of heavenly mindedness, out of that law of grace in his heart, "his mouth speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment," Psa 37:30-31. Works not done from a principle of life within are dead works, saith the author to the Hebrews, be they for the matter never so good and praiseworthy. This moved Luther to say that good works make not men good; but good we must be first ere good can be done by us. {a} This moved Austin to say that Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est, the whole life of an unbeliever is sin, though Spira, the popish expositor, censure that saying for a cruel sentence; crudelis est illa sententia.

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An evil man out of the evil treasure, &c.] Carnal hearts are stews of unclean thoughts, shambles of cruel and bloody thoughts, exchanges and shops of vain thoughts, a very forge and mint of false, political, undermining thoughts, yea, often a little hell of confused and black imaginations, as one well describeth them.

{a} Bona opera non faciunt bonos, sed prius oportet bonos esse quam faciamus bona. Luther.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain Observe here, A double treasure discovered in the heart…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For as Jonas was three days and three nights…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 35. A good man out of the good…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain A good man, out of the good treasure of…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 35. Good treasure of the heart — A most…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 35. treasure] Rather, treasury or storehouse: for a similar…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (35) A good man out of the good treasure.—A…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain A good man out of the good treasure of…

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