“Either make the tree excellent and its fruit excellent or make the tree unwholesome and its fruit unwholesome; for from the fruit the tree is known. Brood of vipers! How are you able to speak what is good being evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good, and the evil man brings out from treasure what is evil. So, I say to you that every idle word which men will speak they will give an account concerning it in the day of judgment. For from your words you will be justified, and from your words you will be condemned.”
Here we read the conclusion of Jesus’ response to the charges brought against Him from the Pharisees (v. 24) as well as the doubt expressed by the confused crowds (v. 23). After a carefully mounted defense (vv. 25-30) and a brilliantly relevant precedent (vv. 31-32) Jesus is ready to conclude His statements. Yet, this is not an example of the defense resting. Jesus turns the tables by placing His accusers on trial. Jesus transitions here from defense to prosecution and in three swift steps brings a charge against those who accuse and doubt Him. Unlike the charges brought against Him, Jesus’ charge is (1) objectively consistent, (2) observes the evidence in context, and (3) pronounces a verdict that the evidence demands.
Jesus Demands an Objective Standard (v. 33)
“Either make the tree excellent and its fruit excellent or make the tree unwholesome and its fruit unwholesome; for from the fruit the tree is known.”
While still within the context of Jesus’ response, this verse begins a new paragraph and thus a new thought consisting of two parts. The first clause consists of an either/or statement (ἤ….ἤ) while the second contains a short explanation. This verse functions as a summary and application of Jesus’ defense aimed in such a manner so as to become a sort of rebuke.
This metaphorical imagery is reminiscent of 7:15-20, Jesus’ conclusion to the SM. There, Jesus warned of false prophets and that their fruits would identify them. Here, Jesus issues a command to make the tree good or else make the tree bad but the truth that the tree is identified or known by its fruit remains the same. The issue here is not identification but consistency. The tree in question is Jesus Himself and the specific fruit in question is the recent exorcism of the deaf/mute man in v. 22. No one questions that Jesus’ “fruit” is good and yet there is gross inconsistency regarding Jesus Himself. To condemn Jesus, one must also condemn His fruit (that which comes from Him, His words and works). To praise Jesus, one must also praise His fruit. The quality of the fruit cannot be separated from the quality of the tree. Thus, the command to make is a command for the crowds and Pharisees to bring their estimation of Jesus (the tree) into conformity with the quality of His words and works (the tree’s fruit).
Regarding this command, the crowds have only two options. (1) Both Jesus and His work is good or excellent (καλός). The adjective describes the inherent quality of something in the highest degree. With regard to appearance, it is beautiful. Addressing morality, it is good. When speaking of purpose or utility, it is useful and beneficial. The quality of the tree matches the quality of the fruit. (2) Both Jesus and His work is unwholesome (σαπρός). This adjective is a true antithesis to καλός in that it describes the poorest of quality (little value, not good, bad) to the point of being harmful (rotten, unwholesome, poisonous). The quality of the tree matches the quality of the fruit.
One might wonder why Jesus did not include this statement earlier in His defense. This seems to fit nicely with v. 27 and the argument regarding the Pharisees’ lack of consistency. But this statement goes well beyond a simple demonstration of inconsistency as it tapers to a pointed rebuke. The point is this: By failing to bring a charge against Jesus’ “fruit”, and in fact making excuses why Jesus’ fruit is good, they implicitly admit that Jesus Himself is good. Thus, they knowingly accuse one who is good. One might be so bold as to call this “unwholesome” fruit, indicating an “unwholesome” tree. This standard is not mere rhetoric but serves as the perfect springboard into Jesus’ charge against them.
Jesus Levels & Supports His Charge (vv. 34-35)
The charge itself is leveled in the first two statements in v. 34 while the rest of the verse, along with v. 35, presents Jesus’ evidence to substantiate His accusation. The charge itself is reminiscent of John’s accusation against some of the same people (3:7) with much the same force. In short, the Pharisees are objectively guilty of what they accuse Jesus of.
The Charge (v. 34ab)
“Brood of vipers! How are you able to speak what is good being evil?”
Jesus’ charge against the Pharisees is presented in the first two words of v. 4: brood of vipers! Quite literally, Jesus addresses the Pharisees as the offspring of snakes (γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν). This is not an ad hominem attack where Jesus is simply calling names. Nor is Jesus making an oblique or metaphorical comment regarding the Pharisees as sneaky and dangerous men. This vocative expression emphatically identifies the Pharisees according to their parentage. That is, Jesus calls them sons of Satan. As members of a serpent’s brood, Jesus identifies them with the serpent of old, the devil, and Satan himself.
Again, this is not an insult (malicious attack upon one’s character) but an objective charge in light of the facts. While the evidence to substantiate this charge will come in due time, Jesus assumes the truth of this statement at present when He asks the rhetorical question: how are you able to speak what is good, being evil?
The vocabulary has changed from that which is excellent (καλός) and unwholesome (σαπρός) to that which is good (ἀγαθός) and evil (πονηρός). In many respects, καλός (excellent) and ἀγαθός (good) are synonymous. Yet, when used in the same context, καλός is used of what is inherently and thoroughly good, excellent, of benefit while ἀγαθός describes a more general quality of goodness. The point is that Jesus speaks of a general goodness and states that the Pharisees are incapable of even that. A similar relationship exists between the unwholesome (σαπρός) tree/fruit and what Jesus here states as the Pharisees’ evil (πονηρός) nature. “Evil” is a much stronger description of the Pharisees’ nature, for Jesus does not say that they do evil or that they think evil but that they are evil (πονηροὶ ὄντες).
The question is framed in the realm of ability. Because they are evil, Jesus states that they are not able to speak what is good. It is of no wonder that they deny Jesus’ Messiahship, reject the validity of His miracles, and disregard the straight-forward exegesis of His teaching. As sons of Satan, they are evil through and through and are thus incapable of speaking what is good. One can only wonder at what Matthew did not record. How did it sit with those in attendance when Jesus called the spiritual and religious heads of Israel servants and sons of Satan? Though certainly accurate, our Lord sees the need to back up this shocking claim with a mountain of evidence.
The Evidence (vv. 34c-35)
“For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good, and the evil man brings out from treasure what is evil.”
The final line of v. 34 presents an explanation in the form of additional information. The idea of abundance (περίσσευμα) is that which fills to overflowing. What fills the reservoir of the heart to overflowing (joy, love, peace, patience, kindness or evil, malice, slander, bitterness, etc.) flows through the spillway of the mouth. While this seems like a worthwhile and pithy quip, it is necessary to apply it to the immediate context. Jesus has only just concluded building His precedent of what will not be forgiven based on who and what people are (vv. 31b, 32b). That the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit indicates what fills their heart (i.e., blasphemy). Thus, Jesus’ accusation gains substance. This concept is taken one step further with the following image of men and their treasures.
Jesus not only returns to the good/evil dichotomy but marries it to His initial statement regarding trees and fruit through the statement just made regarding the heart. The logic works like this: (1) the good man is good because his treasure is good. (2) He brings out what is good because that is what his treasure consists of. (3) The fact that he brings out what is good marks him as a good man.
The idea of “treasure” (θησαυρός) is not so much a valuable hoard so much as it indicates the repository where precious or valuable things are kept. The heart is the location where a man keeps what is valuable to him and as the occasion presents itself, he brings things out of that repository to give to others. The good man brings good things to bestow upon others. The evil man brings evil things out to encumber, accuse, and weigh down others.
The language Jesus uses is most interesting. The term translated as “bring out” (ἐκβάλλω) is more literally “throw/cast out”, most recently used repeatedly to describe Jesus’ casting out of demons (12:24, 26, 27, 28). Jesus, ever so subtlety, points back to His casting out demons by the Holy Spirit and here labels it part of His “good” treasure. Meanwhile, the Pharisees have nothing to cast out but their blasphemy. The evidence is in. Jesus’ accusations that the Pharisees act on behalf of Satan as his spiritual sons is proven to be accurate. The only thing left is to pronounce a verdict and a sentence.
Jesus Presents His Verdict (vv. 36-37)
The following statement from Jesus is pointed, direct, and authoritative. Every time Jesus takes the time to introduce a statement with “I say to you” (λέγω ὑμῖν – 5:18, 22, 26, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 6:2, , 5, 16, 25, 29; 8:10, 11; 10:15, 23, 27, 42; 11:9, 11, 22, 24; 12:6), one would do well to sit up and take notice. This statement is not adversative (but, yet, however) in that δὲ simply presents an additional thought of a different kind. Because a guilty verdict is demanded by Jesus’ evidence, the only possible defense from the guilty party is to seek out some kind of an excuse. Here, Jesus first cuts them off from any such excuse before pronouncing a final sentence.
Warning of Future Accounting (v. 36)
“So, I say to you that every idle word which men will speak they will give an account concerning it in the day of judgment.”
The “you” is plural (ὑμῖν) as Jesus addresses the mixed bag of doubters and blasphemers. The verb tenses are future (λαλήσουσιν – they will speak, ἀποδώσουσιν – they will payback/give account) and predictive. This is a general statement by which Jesus informs His audience of what the final eschatological judgment looks like. All men will give an account of every idle, flippant word they have ever spoken. The point is this: the Pharisees cannot beg pardon by claiming that they only spoke idly or in jest. They will give an accounting for their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit just as all men account for the words that pour from the heart and out of the mouth.
The sense of an idle (ἀργός) word is interesting as the adjective is literally a description of one who doesn’t work. Thus, the best we can say about this idle word is that it accomplishes nothing and is therefore worthless. As such, it cannot possibly be considered excellent (καλός) or even good (ἀγαθός). Even if the Pharisees claim they spoke in idleness, they will still give an accounting for their Blasphemies. Idle or no, their words still reveal the heart.
It may be best to consider what Jesus says and what Jesus does not say at this point. Because people have been trained to apply the text directly to themselves and others (mostly to others) before making any attempt at understanding the author’s intended meaning, this text is normally used to advocate that one cease and desist from all light and ineffective pleasantries and in all ways keep quiet unless something profound and weighty need be said. This is not a prohibition against light conversation, for even common pleasantries, if sincere, can encourage, comfort, and benefit others. This statement simply hammers home the point that even the smallest of utterances will not escape the final accounting. To claim “I was only joking” will not cut the mustard on the final day of judgment.
Warning of Personal Accounting (v. 37)
“For from your words you will be justified, and from your words you will be condemned.”
The grammar is most enlightening when we notice that in the span of two verses Jesus begins with the second plural (I tell y’all), moves to the third plural (they will speak, they will give an account), only to arrive here with the second singular (your words, you will be justified/condemned). It is as if Jesus begins with the crowds as a whole, turns to speak generally, but then turns on each individual within that crowd and speaks directly to them. Each person hears these words communicated to his person, leaving him no crowd in which to hide in.
Jesus does not suggest that a person earns his justification or condemnation via works (in this case, words) but that one is justified or condemned on account of who/what he is. This concept has been the whole point since Jesus’ precedent of who will not be forgiven in vv. 31-32. The one who speaks evil is evil as evidence by his overflowing heart. The one who speaks what is good is good by the same token. Thus, what people say truly matters as our words reveal who we really are. In this sense, no man speaks out of character.
The point Jesus is driving home is more specific to His present situation and context. Even though the Pharisees, the figureheads of Israel’s piety and religion, accuse Jesus with sorcery, impiety, and blasphemy, Jesus proves (1) that He is innocent of all charges and (2) his accusers are objectively guilty of all these same charges. The seed of the serpent continues to harass the Seed of the woman. Yet they will give an account and they will be condemned. In the end, they will be crushed while Jesus will be vindicated. In this light, it is impossible to miss Matthew’s point. To the Israelite believers in the mid 30’s it is high time to separate from the serpent’s seed and follow THE Seed alone.
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