Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers (οφεις γεννηματα εχιδνων). These blistering words come as a climax and remind one of the Bapti…

You serpents. This name is given to them because they pretended to be pious and very devoted to God, but were secretly evil. In their hear…

You generation of vipers — Better, as in Matthew 3:7, brood, or progeny of vipers. The word of rebuke that had c…

This is Christ's utterance, let me remind you. Our modern preachers would not talk like this, even to scribes and Pharisees who were crucifying Chr…

St. John Chrysostom: He had said against the Scribes and Pharisees that they were the children of those who killed the Prophet…

See comments on 3:7 and 12:34 for the epithets. The transition from the preceding verse is clear: if the teachers of the law and Pharisees are fill…

Offspring of vipers. After demonstrating that the scribes are not only base enemies of sound doctrine and wicked corrupters of th…

You servants, you generation of vipers. The latter of these names, John the Baptist calls the Sadducees and Pharisees by …

The scribes and Pharisees were enemies of the gospel of Christ, and therefore of the salvation of people's souls. It is bad to keep away from Chris…

After He instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the Jews' doctrine, He now directs His words to t…