Matthew 12:36

Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

a. NLT: And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

b. NIV: But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.

c. YLT: 'And I say to you, that every idle word that men may speak, they shall give for it a reckoning in a day of judgment;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.

e. Worrell Translation: And I say to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account concerning it in the day of judgment.

1. “But I say unto you…”

a. but [1161 * de] [Strong: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. I say [3004 * lego] [Strong: a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

c. unto you [5213 * humin] [Strong: irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

2. “…That every idle word that men shall speak…”

a. that [3754 * hoti] [Strong: neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

b. every [3956 * pas] [Strong: including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

c. idle [692 * argos] [Strong: from 1 (as a negative particle) and 2041; inactive, i.e. unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless:--barren, idle, slow.] [Outline of Biblical Usage: free from labour, at leisure, lazy, shunning the labour which one ought to perform.] [Thayer: without work, without labor, doing nothing, inactive, idle, free from labor, at leisure, lazy, shunning the labor which one ought to perform.]

1). I can’t help but feel that he is contrasting these words with words of faith that will bear fruit. Words of authority and words that will believe God for the Covenant.

d. word [4487 * rhema] [Strong: from 4483; an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),; by implication, a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute); with a negative naught whatever:--+ evil, + nothing, saying, word.]

e. that [3739 * hos; including feminine he; and neuter ho] [Strong: probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

f. [1437 * ean] [Strong: from 1487 and 302; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty:--before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-)soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, (who-)so(-ever).]

g. men [444 * anthropos] [Strong:  from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:--certain, man.]

h. shall speak [2980 * laleo] [Strong: a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

3. “…they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

a. they shall give [591 * apodidomi] [Strong: from 575 and 1325; to give away, i.e. up, over, back, etc. (in various applications):--deliver (again), give (again), (re-)pay(-ment be made), perform, recompense, render, requite, restore, reward, sell, yield.]

b. account [3056 * logos] [Strong: from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

c. thereof [4012 * peri] [Strong: from the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period):--(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]

d. [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. in [1722 * en] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

f. the day [2250 * hemera] [Strong: feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.]

g. of judgment [2920 * krisis] [Strong:  decision (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice (especially, divine law):--accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.]

1). All of our words that we speak we will give account to the Lord when we stand before Him.

a). Romans 14:10, 11 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.