Matthew 15:19

19 For of the heart go out evil thoughts [For out of the heart cometh evil thoughts], manslayings, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies.

Matthew 15:19 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 15:19

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts
Of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of fellow creatures, and of all sorts of wickedness. The thoughts of sin are evil, are to be hated, forsaken, and for which men are accountable to God. All wicked imaginations, carnal reasonings, lustful desires, and malicious contrivances, are here included; which take their rise from, and are devised, and forged, in the corrupt heart of man.

Murders;
inveterate hatred of men's persons, malice prepense, schemes to take away life, all angry and wrathful words, and actual effusion of man's blood.

Adulteries;
uncleanness committed between married persons, both in thought, and deed:

fornications;
unlawful copulations of persons in a single state:

thefts;
taking away from others by force or fraud, what is their right and property:

false witness:
swearing falsely, or exhibiting a false testimony to the hurt of his neighbour, either his name, person, or estate:

blasphemies;
evil speakings of God or men. To which Mark adds "covetousness"; a greedy and insatiable desire after the things of the world, or the neighbour's goods: "wickedness"; doing hurt and mischief to fellow creatures: "deceit"; in words and actions, in trade and conversation: "lasciviousness"; all manner of uncleanness, and unnatural lusts: "an evil eye"; of envy and covetousness: the vitiosity, or corruption of nature, is, by the Jews F8, called (Nye) (er) , "the evil eye": "pride"; in heart and life, in dress and gesture; and "foolishness"; expressed in talk and conduct.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 141. 3.

Matthew 15:19 In-Context

17 Understand ye not, that all thing that entereth into the mouth, goeth into the womb, and is sent out into the going away?
18 But those things that come forth from the mouth, go out from the heart [go out of the heart], and those things defoul the man.
19 For of the heart go out evil thoughts [For out of the heart cometh evil thoughts], manslayings, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies.
20 These things it be that defoul a man; but to eat with hands not washed [soothly for to eat with hands unwashen], defouleth not a man.
21 And Jesus went out from thence, and went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.