But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, (A)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from (B)the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, (C)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

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But when he saw many of the (A)Pharisees and (B)Sadducees coming for [a]baptism, he said to them, “You [b](C)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from (D)the wrath to come? (E)Therefore produce fruit (F)consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘(G)We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:7 Later mss his baptism
  2. Matthew 3:7 Or brood

But when he saw many of the [a]Pharisees and [b]Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the [divine] wrath and judgment to come? So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin]; and do not presume to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [so our inheritance assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:7 The Pharisees identified with the common people and had control over them. They were prominent legalistic leaders in Judaism who were experts in Mosaic Law and its rituals and traditions. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, immortality of the soul and in the existence of angels and spirits.
  2. Matthew 3:7 The Sadducees were aristocratic members of a priestly group (religious party) who controlled the temple. They denied the possibility of a resurrection and the existence of any spiritual beings apart from God. Although the Sadducees were in the minority, they were leaders of the Sanhedrin, controlling the Jewish High Court.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(B) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(C) And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(D) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for 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.

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