Matthew 15:19

19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:

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 Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
21 And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.