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‘Brood of Vipers’ (Matthew 3.7; 12.34; 23.33) | Semantic Scholar

@article{Keener2005BroodOV,
  title={‘Brood of Vipers’ (Matthew 3.7; 12.34; 23.33)},
  author={Craig S. Keener},
  journal={Journal for the Study of the New Testament},
  year={2005},
  volume={28},
  pages={11 - 3},
  url={https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:163128593}
}

According to a widespread tradition in the ancient Mediterranean world (attested in Herodotus, Aelian, Pliny and other writers), vipers killed their mother during their birth, hence were associated with parent-murder. Ancient writers sometimes used parent-murder as an example of one of the worst conceivable crimes, one that invited divine vengeance. Whereas Matthew’s source may apply the image of vipers’ offspring generally to the crowds listening to John the Baptist, Matthew applies it…