The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
Analysis
Here Jesus explains the abundance of the heart by a treasure, which is an accumulation of goods. So a good person from the good heap of good thoughts and affections which he accumulates in his mind, naturally brings forth good words and works. However, an evil man, from the evil heap of evil affections in his mind, brings forth evil words and works.[1][2]
Commentary from the Church Fathers
Jerome: "What He says, The good man out of the good treasure of his heart, & c. is either pointed against the Jews, that seeing they blasphemed God, what treasure in their heart must that be out of which such blasphemy proceeded; or it is connected with what had gone before, that like as a good man cannot bring forth evil things, nor an evil man good things, so Christ cannot do evil works, nor the Devil good works."[3]
References
^Robert Witham, Annotations on the New Testament of Jesus Christ. Dublin: 1730.
^Cornelius Cornelii a Lapide; Thomas Wimberly Mossman The great commentary of Cornelius à Lapide, London: J. Hodges, 1889-1896.
