Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 3:7-10

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." — Matthew 3:7-10 (ASV)

St. Gregory the Great: The words of teachers should be adapted to the character of their hearers, so that the teaching is consistent in every case and yet never departs from the stronghold of general edification.¹

Glossa Ordinaria: It was necessary that after the teaching he gave to the common people, the Evangelist should provide an example of the doctrine he delivered to the more advanced. Therefore, he says, "Seeing many of the Pharisees, etc."

Isidore of Seville: The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to one another. In Hebrew, "Pharisee" means "divided," because by choosing to be justified through traditions and observances, they were "divided" or "separated" from the people by this righteousness.²

In Hebrew, "Sadducee" means "just," for they claimed to be what they were not. They denied the resurrection of the body and taught that the soul perished with the body. They accepted only the Pentateuch and rejected the Prophets.

Glossa Ordinaria: When John saw those who were considered highly regarded among the Jews coming to his baptism, he said to them, "O generation of vipers, etc."

Remigius of Auxerre: It is the custom of Scripture to give names based on the deeds people imitate, according to Ezekiel: Thy father was an Amorite (Ezekiel 16:3). So, because they follow the ways of vipers, they are called a "generation of vipers."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Just as a skilled physician infers a man's disease from the color of his skin, so John understood the evil thoughts of the Pharisees who came to him. They were perhaps thinking, "We will go and confess our sins. He imposes no burden on us; we will be baptized and receive pardon for our sin."

Fools! If you have consumed impurity, must you not also take medicine? In the same way, after confession and baptism, a person needs great diligence to heal the wound of sin. Therefore, he says, "Generation of vipers."

It is the nature of a viper, as soon as it has bitten someone, to flee to water; if it cannot find water, it immediately dies. So this "progeny of vipers," after committing deadly sin, ran to baptism so that, like vipers, they might escape death by means of water.

Moreover, it is the nature of vipers to be born by bursting from their mother's womb. The Jews, then, are called a "progeny of vipers" because, through their continual persecution of the prophets, they had corrupted their mother, the Synagogue. Vipers also have a beautiful and speckled exterior but are filled with poison inside. In the same way, these men outwardly appeared holy.

Remigius of Auxerre: So when he asks, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" the phrase "except God" must be understood as the implied answer.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, who has warned you? Was it Isaiah? Surely not, for if he had taught you, you would not put your trust in water alone but also in good works. He speaks in this way: Wash you, and be clean; put your wickedness away from your souls, learn to do well (Isaiah 1:16).

Was it David, who says, Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7)? Surely not, for he immediately adds, The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit. If you had been disciples of David, you would have come to baptism with mourning.

Remigius of Auxerre: But if we read the verb "shall show" in the future tense, the meaning is this: "What teacher or preacher will be able to give you such counsel that you may escape the wrath of everlasting damnation?"

St. Augustine of Hippo: God is described in Scripture as being angry based on a likeness of effects, not because He is subject to such weakness; indeed, He is never moved by any passion. The word "wrath" is applied to the effects of His vengeance, not because God suffers from any disturbing emotion.³

Glossa Ordinaria: If, then, you would escape this wrath, Bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

St. Gregory the Great: Notice that he does not say merely "fruits of repentance," but "fruits meet for repentance." For a person who has never fallen into what is unlawful is rightly allowed to use all that is lawful. But if anyone has fallen into sin, he ought to put away from himself even lawful things to the degree that he is conscious of having used unlawful things.

It is left, then, to that person's conscience to seek gains from good works through repentance that are as great as the loss he has brought upon himself by sin.⁴

The Jews, who boasted of their lineage, would not admit they were sinners because they were Abraham's seed. Say not among yourselves we are Abraham's seed.

St. John Chrysostom: He does not forbid them to say they are Abraham's children, but to trust in that fact while neglecting the virtues of the soul.⁵

Pseudo-Chrysostom: What good is a noble birth to someone whose life is disgraceful? On the other hand, what harm is a lowly origin to someone who has the splendor of virtue? It is more fitting that the parents of such a son should rejoice over him, than that he should rejoice over his parents.

Therefore, do not pride yourselves on having Abraham for your father. Instead, blush that you inherit his blood but not his holiness. For someone who bears no resemblance to his father may be the child of adultery. These words, then, simply forbid boasting about one's ancestry.

Rabanus Maurus: Because, as a preacher of truth, he wished to stir them to bring forth fruit meet for repentance, he invites them to humility, without which no one can repent.

Remigius of Auxerre: There is a tradition that John preached at the place in the Jordan where the twelve stones taken from the riverbed had been set up by God's command. He might have been pointing to these when he said, Of these stones.

St. Jerome: He implies God's great power, who, just as He made all things from nothing, can also make people out of the hardest stone.

Glossa Ordinaria: It is the first lesson of faith to believe that God is able to do whatever He wills.⁶

St. John Chrysostom: That people should be made from stones is like Isaac coming from Sarah's womb. "Look into the rock," says Isaiah, "whence ye were hewn." By reminding them of this prophecy, he shows that something similar could happen even now.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, the stones may refer to the Gentiles, who worshiped stone idols.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Stone is hard to work, but once it is shaped, it does not lose its form. In the same way, the Gentiles were brought to the faith with difficulty, but once brought, they remain in it forever.

St. Jerome: "These stones" signify the Gentiles because of their hardness of heart. See Ezekiel, who says, I will take away from you the heart of stone, and give you the heart of flesh. Stone is emblematic of hardness, while flesh is emblematic of softness.

Rabanus Maurus: Sons were raised up to Abraham from stones, because the Gentiles, by believing in Christ (who is Abraham's seed), became Abraham's sons, to whose seed they were united.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The axe is the sharp fury of the consummation of all things, which is destined to hew down the whole world. But if it is already laid at the root, why has it not yet cut? It is because these trees have reason and the freedom to do good or to refrain from it, so that when they see the axe laid at their root, they may fear and bring forth fruit.

This denunciation of wrath, which is signified by the axe being laid to the root, may have no effect on the wicked, but it will sever the good from the bad.

St. Jerome: Alternatively, the axe signifies the preaching of the Gospel, just as the Prophet Jeremiah also compares the Word of the Lord to an axe that splits the rock (Jeremiah 23:29).

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, the axe signifies the Redeemer. Just as an axe consists of a handle and a blade, so He consists of a divine and a human nature; He is held by His humanity but cuts by His divinity. And though this axe is laid at the root of the tree, waiting in patience, it is still clear what it will do. For every obstinate sinner who neglects the fruit of good works in this life will find the fire of hell ready for him.

Notice that the axe is laid to the root, not the branches. When only the children of wickedness are removed, it is as if only the branches of the unfruitful tree are cut away. But when the whole wicked line, along with its source, is carried off, the unfruitful tree is cut down at the root, so that no source remains from which evil shoots can spring up again.⁷

St. John Chrysostom: By saying, "Every," he cuts off all privilege of noble birth, as if to say, "Even if you are a son of Abraham, if you remain fruitless, you will suffer the punishment."

Rabanus Maurus: There are four kinds of trees. The first is totally withered, which can be compared to pagans. The second is green but unfruitful, like the hypocrites. The third is green and fruitful but poisonous, such as heretics. The fourth is green and brings forth good fruit, which is like good Catholics.

St. Gregory the Great: Therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire, because whoever neglects to bring forth the fruit of good works in this life will find a fire in hell prepared for him.

1. De Cur. Past., iii, prologue
2. Hisp. Orig. 8. 4
3. City of God, book 9, ch. 5
4. Hom. in Ev. 20. 8
5. Hom. 11
6. ord.
7. Hom. in Ev., 20. 9