1 Samuel 25:17

25:17 Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household. ¹  He is such a wicked person ²  that no one tells him anything!”

1 Samuel 25:25

25:25 My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! ³  But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. ⁴ 

Yesaya 59:3

59:3 For your hands are stained with blood

and your fingers with sin;

your lips speak lies,

your tongue utters malicious words.

Matius 12:31-34

12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, ⁵  but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. ⁶  But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, ⁷  either in this age or in the age to come.

Trees and Their Fruit

12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad ⁸  and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.

[25:17]  ¹ tn Heb “all his house” (so ASV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “his whole family.”

[25:17]  ² tn Heb “he is a son of worthlessness.”

[25:25]  ³ tn Heb “and foolishness is with him.”

[25:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “my lord’s servants, whom you sent.”

[12:31]  ⁵ tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”

[12:32]  ⁶ tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”

[12:32]  ⁷ tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”

[12:32]  sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.

[12:33]  ⁸ tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “tree” and “fruit,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).