Matthew 12:35 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →We may notice a troubling word or action and focus only on the moment it appeared. Jesus looks deeper. His image of treasure helps us see the heart as a place where desires, convictions, memories, and loyalties are gathered over time, then brought into view through life.
Jesus teaches that a person's deeds and words come forth from the heart's stored treasure. Good and evil are not random outputs; they reveal what has been cultivated, welcomed, and kept within.
The Context of Matthew 12:35
Jesus has answered the Pharisees' claim that he casts out devils by Beelzebub. He has shown that his works are done by the Spirit of God and has warned of the danger of speaking against the Holy Ghost. In verses 33-34, he compares people with trees known by their fruit and says that the mouth speaks from the heart's abundance. Verse 35 develops that image through a household treasury. Verses 36-37 then speak of accounting for idle words and judgment by words. The saying directly addresses the Pharisees' hostile speech while giving a broader principle about human conduct.
What Does Matthew 12:35 Mean?
A "good man" brings "good things" from the "good treasure of the heart." The repeated words make Jesus' point plain: what is laid up within eventually comes forth. The same is true of the evil treasure and the evil things it produces. "Bringeth forth" pictures someone drawing items from stored wealth. Jesus is not describing occasional appearances that conceal the heart; he is identifying a continuing source that shapes speech and action. The verse asks us to consider what we are preserving inwardly. A heart can store resentment, falsehood, and envy, or it can receive what is true and good. What fills that treasury affects what we draw out when life presses us.
In Matthew 12, the saying interprets the Pharisees' accusation after Jesus' healing. Their charge is fruit from an evil treasure because it calls the Spirit's work demonic. The verse also follows the chapter's earlier dispute about the sabbath. Jesus upheld mercy, healed a man, and identified himself as Lord of the sabbath. The issue was never merely a public argument over rules. Responses to God's mercy revealed deeper loyalties. Biblical wisdom likewise treats the heart as the center from which life proceeds. God calls for inward faithfulness, and the outward life bears witness to what the heart has received and pursued.
The chapter presents Christ as the one whose works display God's kingdom and mercy. He heals, delivers, and gathers rather than scatters. His words uncover evil honestly, yet his ministry also shows God's compassion toward the bruised and weak. That combination gives hope for the heart Jesus describes. Scripture speaks of God giving a new heart and putting his Spirit within his people, so the problem is neither ignored nor beyond God's help. As we abide in Christ's teaching and welcome his work, our inward treasure can be formed by his truth. The resulting fruit belongs to a life being turned toward God.
Bible Verses Related to Matthew 12:35
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
- Proverbs 4:23
“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”
- Matthew 12:33
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
- Luke 6:45
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
- Ezekiel 36:26-27
Where Matthew 12:35 Echoes in Scripture
Luke 6:45 closely echoes Matthew 12:35 by joining the good or evil treasure of the heart with what a person brings forth. Luke places the saying after Jesus' teaching about mercy, judgment, and the fruit by which a tree is known. The echo confirms that Jesus' image is broadly ethical and spiritual: the heart's stored treasure becomes visible in the conduct and speech that flow from it.
How to Apply Matthew 12:35 Today
A useful response is to tend the heart before a hard conversation, a demanding task, or a familiar temptation. We can make room for Scripture, prayer, gratitude, repentance, and the company of people who help us love what is good. When harmful words or actions emerge, the verse encourages more than embarrassment about the visible result. We can bring the deeper matter before God and seek reconciliation where our conduct has wounded others. Over time, practices of honesty, mercy, and worship help shape what we keep within. The fruit may grow quietly, then become evident in moments when our stored treasure is drawn out.
Reflection & Prayer
What have we been storing that is likely to come out when we are tired, challenged, or given influence? Pray: "Lord, show us the treasure of our hearts. Remove what nourishes evil, and form in us a love for what is true, merciful, and pleasing to you."