But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
All Commentaries on Matthew 3:7 Go To Matthew 3
Theophylact of Ochrid
AD 1107
"Pharisee" means "one who is set apart," for they appeared to be set apart by their life and knowledge, and to be superior to others.
These believed neither in the resurrection, nor in angels, nor in the spirit. Their name means "the righteous ones," for sedek means "righteousness." Either they called themselves "the righteous," or they were so named after a certain leader of heresy, Sadok.
They did not come with sincerity, as did the others, and for this reason he upbraids them.
He speaks to them bitterly, knowing their perversity, but he also praises them by saying, "Who hath warned you?" For he marvels how it has come about that their wicked generation should repent. He calls them a "brood of vipers" because in the same way that vipers are said to eat their way out of their mother’s womb, so these murdered their fathers, that is, their teachers and prophets. "The wrath to come" means gehenna.
