Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 12:35

"The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." — Matthew 12:35 (ASV)

A good man out of the good treasure — A whole parable is wrapped up in this last word. Every thought and desire is added to the ever-accumulating store in the inner chamber of the heart. From there, it passes out into word or deed.

In the ideal division of the context, which excludes neutrality, the treasure is either simply good or simply evil. Practically, it might seem as if the character of most people implies a treasure of good and evil mixed in ever-varying proportions. However, this thought is countered by the fact that if the unity of goodness from the love of God is absent, there must be the distraction and diversity that come from the love of self, and this makes the treasure predominantly evil.

The poison of worldliness acts in such a case with cumulative power. The same image reappears in reference to the intellectual side of the religious life in Matthew 13:52.