Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

A good man - See on Matthew 12:35; (note).

The Biblical Illustrator

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

Religion seated in the heart

1.
Christ referred true religion to the heart as the seat of its vitality.

2. Nor is it in essence alone that religion is thus intensely spiritual and inward; religious acts, to have reality and value, must proceed from the heart, and fairly represent its spiritual frames.

3. What, then, is this good treasure of the heart? True religion is an inward principle of holy living, through consecration to a holy God. (J. P.Thompson.)

Prepared heart treasures

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and our best abundance of the heart must be slowly and in quietness prepared. The cattle, when they rest, are yet working to prepare from the grass that sweetest and most wholesome of beverages--milk. So must we prepare the abundance of the heart. If the milk of our word is to flow from us nourishingly, we must turn the common things of daily life--the grass--by slow and quiet processes, into sweet wisdom. In retired, meditative hours the digesting and secreting powers of the spirit act; and thus ourselves are nourished, and we store nourishment for others. (T. T. Lynch.)

Words reveal hearts

Our words are the commentaries on our wills; for when we speak we make, as it were, a dissection of our own hearts, and read an anatomy-lecture upon ourselves. Our wanton talk discovers a stew in our heart; when our words are swords, our hearts are a slaughter-house; when we bear false witness, that is the mint; when we worship Mammon, that is the temple. The heart is the shop and workhouse of all evil Proverbs 4:23-24; Matthew 15:19). (A. Farindon.)

The rising of the sun is known by the shining beams; the fire is known by its burning; the life of the body is known by its moving: even so certainly is the presence of God’s Spirit known by the shining light of a holy conversation; even so the purging fire of grace is known by the burning zeal against sin, and a fervent desire to keep God’s commandments; even so, certainly, the life and liveliness of faith is known by the good motives of the heart, by the bestirring of all the powers, both of the soul and body, to de whatsoever God wills us to be doing, as soon as we once know He would have us do it. He that hath this evidence hath a bulwark against despair, and may dare the devil to his face; he that bath this hath the broad seal of eternal life, and such a man shall live for ever (Acts 9:6; 1 John 2:3). (J. Mede.)

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

The good man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

It is not the appearance of men, but their hearts, which determine their character; and the unfailing guide to what is in men's hearts is their speech. This verse is not in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, although Matthew recorded it (Matthew 12:35) as being used in a different context, where Jesus revealed that the evil conduct of the Pharisees sprang from inner corruption. It is likely that Jesus used the teaching of this verse many times during the years of his public ministry.

Out of the abundance ... The sentiment of Proverbs 4:23 is in this. The heart provides the motivation of life; and what is in it will invariably manifest itself. Of course, the mind is the scriptural heart.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart,.... This, because of its suitableness and agreement with what goes before, is placed by Luke here; though, according to Matthew, it was spoken at another time and place, unless it should be a repetition there; See Gill on Matthew 12:35.

for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Persic versions, leave out the word "his"; and the two latter read "lips", instead of "mouth"; See Gill on Matthew 12:34.

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

Bringeth forth (προπερει — propherei). In a similar saying repeated later. Matthew 12:34. has the verb εκβαλλει — ekballei (throws out, casts out), a bolder figure. “When men are natural, heart and mouth act in concert. But otherwise the mouth sometimes professes what the heart does not feel” (Plummer).

Vincent's Word Studies

Evil

See on Luke 3:19.

The Fourfold Gospel

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil [man] out of the evil [treasure] bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh¹.

1. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Teachers are to be judged by their conduct as men, and also by the effect of their teaching. If either be predominantly bad, the man must be avoided. But we must not judge hastily, nor by slight and trivial actions, for some specimens of bad fruit grow on good trees. See

John Trapp Complete Commentary

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Ver. 45. See Matthew 12:33-35.

Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary

45.] Again the closest connexion of sense and argument; nor is this verse (De Wette) put here because of the similarity of the preceding verses to Matthew 12:33 reminding the compiler of Luke 6:35 there. Do these expositors suppose that our Lord only once spoke each of these central sayings, and with only one reference?

Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Luke 6:45. The application. Comp. Matthew 12:35.

προφέρει κ. τ. λ. refers here also to spoken words. See ἐκ γὰρ κ. τ. λ.

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

Luke 6:45. θησαυροῦ, treasure, treasury) So it is here called: presently after it is called περίσσευμα, the abundance. [The interior of the human heart is spacious, capable of containing in no moderate degree good or else evil. Both break forth from it in words and deeds,—V. g.]

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Ver. 45. See Poole on "Mark 1:16"

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

45.See Matthew 12:35.

 

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

The parable of the two men6:45 (cf. Matthew 12:35)

This short parable makes more explicit the same point about human conduct that Jesus had just made about trees (cf. Matthew 12:35). The conduct of people follows from their character, for good or for bad (cf. Luke 3:7-9). The man"s treasury is his heart. What makes the heart good is proper orientation to Jesus as a disciple. The good man has chosen to follow Jesus faithfully as His disciple, but the evil man has decided to pursue worldly wealth and happiness. A person"s speech normally expresses what fills his heart.

Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Luke 6:45. See on Matthew 12:35. It is highly improbable that the verse was inserted from that occasion. Constant repetition of fundamental thoughts characterized our Lord’s instruction.

The Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 6:45_{. : either, the treasure which is in the heart, or the treasure which the heart is (Hahn). In either case the sense is: as is the heart, so is the utterance.}

 

 

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

of = out of. Greek. ek. App-104. Compare Isaiah 32:6.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(45) A good man out of the good treasure.—See Note on Matthew 12:35. There the words are spoken in immediate connection with the judgment which the Pharisees had passed on our Lord as casting out devils by Beelzebub, and follow on a reproduction of the similitude of the tree and its fruit. The sequence of thought in that passage helps us to trace a like sequence here. Out of the “good treasure of his heart” the good man would bring forth, not harsh or hasty judgment, but kindness, gentleness, compassion; out of the “evil treasure” the man who was evil, the hypocrite who judged others by himself, would bring forth bitterness, and harsh surmises, and uncharitable condemnation.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

good man

Psalms 37:30,31; 40:8-10; 71:15-18; Proverbs 10:20,21; 12:18; 15:23; 22:17,18; Matthew 12:35; John 7:38; Ephesians 4:29; 5:3,4,19; Colossians 4:6

treasure

2 Corinthians 4:6,7; Ephesians 3:8; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 8:10

and an

Psalms 12:2-4; 41:6,7; 52:2-4; 59:7,12; 64:3-8; 140:5; Jeremiah 9:2-5; Acts 5:3; Acts 8:19-23; Romans 3:13,14; James 3:5-8; Jude 1:15

for

Matthew 12:34-37

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 6:7 - shalt talk;  Job 15:5 - uttereth;  Proverbs 21:20 - treasure;  Matthew 15:17 - that;  Matthew 23:26 - cleanse;  Luke 8:15 - in an;  Luke 12:13 - Master;  Luke 24:14 - General;  John 7:4 - there;  John 7:12 - is a

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

Luke 6:45.A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good Such is the statement with which Luke concludes the discourse; and I have no doubt that he intended to describe, without a figure, the kind of judgment which Christ orders us to make from the fruits Believers ought to examine carefully what kind of doctrine is taught by those who profess to be the servants of God. “Titles (he says) are of little value, till the speaker give actual evidence that he is sent by God.” Yet I am far from saying, that this passage may not be applied to a general doctrine, And certainly the last clause, out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh, has a more extensive reference than to false prophets: for it is a common proverb. Is it objected, that the tongues of men lie, and that men of the worst hearts are often the best speakers? I reply: Christ merely points out here what is a very ordinary occurrence. For, though hypocrites express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the portrait of the mind.