Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

◄ Matthew 12:37 ►

New International Version
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

New Living Translation
The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

English Standard Version
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Berean Standard Bible
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Berean Literal Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

King James Bible
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

New King James Version
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

New American Standard Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

NASB 1995
“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

NASB 1977
“For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Legacy Standard Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Amplified Bible
For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

Christian Standard Bible
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

American Standard Version
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Contemporary English Version
On that day they will be told they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.

English Revised Version
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty."

Good News Translation
Your words will be used to judge you--to declare you either innocent or guilty."

International Standard Version
because by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Majority Standard Bible
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

NET Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

New Heart English Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Webster's Bible Translation
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Weymouth New Testament
For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned."

World English Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
for from your words you will be declared righteous, and from your words you will be declared unrighteous.”

Berean Literal Bible
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Young's Literal Translation
for from thy words thou shalt be declared righteous, and from thy words thou shalt be declared unrighteous.'

Smith's Literal Translation
For by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For by your words shall you be justified, and by your words shall you be condemned.”

New American Bible
By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

New Revised Standard Version
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be found guilty.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

Godbey New Testament
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shah be condemned.

Haweis New Testament
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Mace New Testament
for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Weymouth New Testament
For each of you by his words shall be justified, or by his words shall be condemned."

Worrell New Testament
for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."

Worsley New Testament
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Good and Bad Fruit
…36But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

Proverbs 18:21
Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Proverbs 12:13-14
An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble. / By fruitful speech a man is filled with good things, and the work of his hands returns to him.

James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

Ecclesiastes 5:2-3
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few. / As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Proverbs 15:1-2
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. / The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

1 Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.

Matthew 15:11
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Treasury of Scripture

For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

For by.

Proverbs 13:3
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

justified.

James 2:21-25
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? …

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Acquitted Condemned Declared Judged Justified Righteous Righteousness Unrighteous Words

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Acquitted Condemned Declared Judged Justified Righteous Righteousness Unrighteous Words

Matthew 12

1. Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath,
3. by scripture,
9. by reason,
13. and by a miracle.
22. He heals a man possessed that was blind and mute;
24. and confronting the absurd charge of casting out demons by Beelzebub,
32. he shows that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.
36. Account shall be made of idle words.
38. He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign,
46. and shows who is his brother, sister, and mother.

Berean Study Bible

For by your words
The phrase "for by your words" emphasizes the power and significance of speech in the moral and spiritual realm. The Greek word for "words" here is "λόγοι" (logoi), which can refer to spoken words, sayings, or even teachings. In the historical context of the Jewish tradition, words were seen as a reflection of the heart's condition. Proverbs 18:21 states, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue," underscoring the belief that words can have profound consequences. Jesus, in this passage, is teaching that our words are not trivial; they are a reflection of our inner character and will be used as evidence in the divine judgment.

you will be acquitted
The term "acquitted" comes from the Greek word "δικαιωθήσῃ" (dikaiōthēsē), which means to be declared righteous or justified. In a legal sense, it implies being found not guilty or being cleared of charges. In the context of Matthew 12:37, Jesus is highlighting that our words can serve as a testament to our righteousness. This aligns with the broader biblical teaching that faith, evidenced by our actions and words, is what justifies us before God. Romans 10:10 states, "For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved," illustrating the connection between belief, confession, and justification.

and by your words
Reiterating the earlier phrase, "and by your words" serves to emphasize the dual potential of speech. The repetition underscores the seriousness with which Jesus regards our spoken words. In Jewish culture, repetition was a common rhetorical device used to stress importance. This phrase serves as a reminder that just as words can justify, they can also condemn, highlighting the dual-edged nature of speech.

you will be condemned
The word "condemned" is translated from the Greek "κατακριθήσῃ" (katakrithēsē), meaning to be judged or sentenced. This term carries a legal connotation of being found guilty and deserving of punishment. In the biblical context, condemnation is not merely a temporal judgment but has eternal implications. Jesus warns that careless or malicious words can lead to spiritual condemnation. This teaching is consistent with the broader scriptural narrative that emphasizes accountability for one's actions and words. James 3:6 warns of the destructive power of the tongue, calling it "a fire, a world of unrighteousness," which can corrupt the whole person and set the course of one's life on fire.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(37) By thy words thou shalt be justified.--Stripped of the after-thoughts which have gathered round it in the later controversies of theologians, the word "justified" means, as its position here shows, the opposite of "condemned," the being "acquitted" either on a special charge or on a general trial of character. In this sense we are able to understand (without entering into the labyrinth of logomachies in which commentators on the Epistles have too often entangled themselves) how it is that men are said to be justified by faith (Romans 3:28 et al.), justified by works (James 2:24), justified--as here--by words. All three--faith, works, words--are alike elements of a man's character, making or showing what he is. Faith, implying trust and therefore love, justifies as the root element of character; "words," as its most spontaneous manifestation; works, as its more permanent results. Of the words and the works men can in some measure judge, and they are the tests by which a man should judge himself. The faith which lies deeper in the life is known only to God, and it is therefore by faith rather than by works that a man is justified before God, though the faith is no true faith unless it moulds the character and therefore enables the man to pass the other tests also.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 37. - For by (ἐκ) - referring to, as it were, the source of the verdict - thy words (τῶν λόγοι σου); thy, individualizing. Ob-nerve the change from ῤῆμα (ver. 36), which might in itself refer to the utterance of a madman, or to a parrot-like quotation. But by here using λόγοι our Lord shows that he is thinking of utterances of the reason. sentences spoken with a knowledge of their meaning, and forming parts of what are virtually, though not literally, discourses. A ῤῆμα may be the merely mechanical utterance of the lips, λόγοι imply consciousness. The presence of λόγον in the preceding clause is probably entirely accidental. Thou shalt be justified (Matthew 11:19, note) - 'Quid enim aliud sermones sancti quam tides sonans" (Calovius, in Meyer) - and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (ver. 7, note).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

by
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

words
λόγων (logōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

you will be acquitted,
δικαιωθήσῃ (dikaiōthēsē)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1344: From dikaios; to render just or innocent.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

by
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

words
λόγων (logōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

you will be condemned.”
καταδικασθήσῃ (katadikasthēsē)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2613: To condemn, pass sentence upon. From kata and a derivative of dike; to adjudge against, i.e. Pronounce guilty.

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NT Gospels: Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be (Matt. Mat Mt)