Matthew 12:33-43

Words Reveal Character

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for 1the tree is known by its fruit.
34 "2You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? 3For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
35 "4The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in 5the day of judgment.
37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

The Desire for Signs

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, 6we want to see a sign from You."
39 But He answered and said to them, "7An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as 8JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will 9the Son of Man be 10three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 "11The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because 12they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, 13something greater than Jonah is here.
42 "14The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, 15something greater than Solomon is here.
43 "16Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.

Cross References 16

  • 1. Matthew 7:16-18; Luke 6:43, 44; John 15:4-7
  • 2. Matthew 3:7; Matthew 23:33; Luke 3:7
  • 3. 1 Samuel 24:13; Isaiah 32:6; Matthew 12:34, 35; Matthew 15:18; Luke 6:45; Ephesians 4:29; James 3:2-12
  • 4. Proverbs 10:20, 21; Proverbs 25:11, 12; Matthew 13:52; Colossians 4:6
  • 5. Matthew 10:15
  • 6. Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11, 12; Luke 11:16; John 2:18; John 6:30; 1 Corinthians 1:22
  • 7. Matthew 12:39-42: {Luke 11:29-32;} Matthew 16:4
  • 8. Jonah 1:17
  • 9. Matthew 8:20
  • 10. Matthew 16:21
  • 11. Jonah 1:2
  • 12. Jonah 3:5
  • 13. Matthew 12:6, 42
  • 14. 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1
  • 15. Matthew 12:6, 41
  • 16. Matthew 12:43-45: {Luke 11:24-26}

Footnotes 11

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