For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse powerfully reveals that sin isn't just about outward actions, but starts as "evil thoughts" – the internal "dialogues" and plans in our hearts. Jesus is showing us that the real source of everything that defiles us isn't external rules, but the condition of our inner selves.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just declared that nothing from outside a person can make them unclean, directly contradicting the Pharisees' emphasis on ritual purity laws. He then explains to his disciples that true defilement comes from within, from the heart, and this verse lists the sinful actions that originate there.
Jesus was challenging the religious leaders of his day, who were obsessed with external purity laws. He flips the script, revealing where true defilement comes from.
Jesus makes a powerful distinction: what we eat doesn't defile us, but what comes out of us does. The Pharisees were focused on outward rituals like washing hands before meals, believing these kept them clean. Jesus, however, points to the heart as the source of true uncleanness. What we think and say, and the actions that follow, are the real indicators of our spiritual state, not whether we've followed a prescribed washing ritual. This shifts the focus from external performance to internal reality.
Jesus lists specific sins originating from the heart. This isn't just a random assortment; it reveals a profound truth about human nature.
This verse is a stark reminder that the heart is the 'fountain of corruption,' as one commentator put it. Jesus isn't just talking about extreme acts like murder or adultery. He starts with 'evil thoughts'—the internal dialogues, the sinful reasoning, the wicked imaginations that precede outward actions. These 'evil thoughts' are the fertile ground from which all other sins sprout. The list—murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander—shows that the roots of these outward transgressions are deep within our inner being. True sinfulness isn't just about the act, but the internal disposition that fuels it.
Jesus uses the strong word 'defiles' (or 'pollutes'). What does it truly mean to be made unclean in God's eyes?
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The Greek word translated as 'defiles' or 'pollutes' here carries the sense of making something common or unclean. In the Old Testament, this often related to things set apart for God being rendered unfit for sacred use or association. Jesus applies this concept internally: sin originating from the heart makes a person spiritually 'common' or unclean before God. It’s not an external stain but an internal corruption that separates us from God's holiness. This isn't about food laws; it's about the moral and spiritual condition of our inner being. True purity comes only from a heart transformed by God.
Understand the original words
dialogismoi ponēroi · Greek Noun phrase
Thoughts, intentions, or deeds that are morally wicked, malicious, or opposed to God’s nature and commands. It represents the fallen state of humanity's internal motivations.
phonoi · Greek Noun
The intentional killing of a human being. Biblically, it is viewed as a violation of God’s image in man and a supreme act of disobedience against the sanctity of life.
moicheiai · Greek Noun
Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse. It represents a breach of the marriage covenant and a violation of God's design for human intimacy.
porneiai · Greek Noun
A broad category covering all forms of sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, viewed as a corruption of God's moral order.
klopai · Greek Noun
The act of taking someone else's property without consent. It is fundamentally a violation of the neighbor’s rights and an expression of covetousness.
pseudomartyriai · Greek Noun
Giving untruthful or misleading testimony against another person. It is a direct violation of God’s command to love one's neighbor and maintain justice.
blasphēmai · Greek Noun
Injurious or defamatory speech against others. It is the verbal expression of malice and a failure to use the tongue in a way that honors God and neighbor.
This verse declares the profound deceitfulness and corruption of the human heart, directly echoing Matthew 15:19's assertion that sin originates from within.
Romans 3:10-18This passage from Romans provides a powerful Old Testament-based summary of humanity's inherent sinfulness, painting a grim picture of the state of every person's heart before God, which aligns with Jesus' diagnosis here.
Luke 6:45Jesus makes a parallel statement, 'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil,' reinforcing the idea that our outward actions are a direct reflection of our inner state.
Mark 7:20-23This passage is the parallel account to Matthew 15:19 in Mark's Gospel, offering a slightly expanded list of sinful things that come from the heart, further emphasizing the internal source of corruption.
Genesis 6:5This verse in Genesis highlights the deep-seated wickedness of humanity even in the early days after the flood, stating, 'The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,' underscoring the ancient and persistent nature of the problem Jesus addresses.
calvinMatthew 15:10-20: "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:"
- And having called the multitudes to him, he said to them, Hear and understand. 11. What entereth into the mouth polluteth not the man, but what goes out of the mouth polluteth the man. 12. Then his disciples approaching said to him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended when they heard that saying? 13. But he answering, said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be roote…
bengelMatthew 15:19: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
Matthew 15:19 . Διαλογισμοὶ πονηροὶ , evil thoughts ) such as the Pharisees entertained. The article is added in Mark 7:21 .— φόνοι , μοιχεῖαι , κ . τ . λ ., murders, adulteries , etc.) Sin against the sixth and following commandments. The plural number increases the force.— βλασφημίαι , curses ) sc. against our neighbour, combined with false witness . In such enum…
This verse powerfully reveals that sin isn't just about outward actions, but starts as "evil thoughts" – the internal "dialogues" and plans in our hearts. Jesus is showing us that the real source of everything that defiles us isn't external rules, but the condition of our inner selves.
Jesus has just declared that nothing from outside a person can make them unclean, directly contradicting the Pharisees' emphasis on ritual purity laws. He then explains to his disciples that true defilement comes from within, from the heart, and this verse lists the sinful actions that originate there.
Jesus has just declared that nothing from outside a person can make them unclean, directly contradicting the Pharisees' emphasis on ritual purity laws. He then explains to his disciples that true defilement comes from within, from the heart, and this verse lists the sinful actions that originate there.
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." — This verse powerfully reveals that sin isn't just about outward actions, but starts as "evil thoughts" – the internal "dialogues" and plans in our hearts. Jesus is showing us that the real source of…
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Last reviewed October 2026