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 →A good person brings forth good from a good heart, and an evil person evil from an evil heart.
What Does Matthew 12:35 Mean?
Jesus continues the theme. A good person, like one drawing from a rich storehouse, brings out good things from the treasure of the heart; an evil person brings out evil from an evil store. What is laid up within is what comes forth in word and deed.
The heart is pictured as a treasury, and life pays out what has been deposited there. This is why inner transformation matters so deeply. A clean spring gives clean water; a defiled one cannot. Christ's concern is not merely outward behavior but the heart from which all behavior flows. He came to fill the heart with new treasure, the goodness of God himself, so that out of that abundance a renewed life might pour.
Matthew 12:35 in the Original Language
thesauros (θησαυρός), 'treasure' -- a storehouse or what is stored in it, here the contents of the heart, good or evil.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 12:35
What does Matthew 12:35 mean?
A good person brings forth good from a good heart, and an evil person evil from an evil heart.