This is a metaphor. Poisonous snakes are dangerous and represent evil. Alternative translation: “You evil poisonous snakes!” or “You are evil like poisonous snakes.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
## who warned you to flee from the wrath that is coming ##
With this rhetorical question John was rebuking the people because they were asking him to baptize them so that God would not punish them, but they did not want to stop sinning. "You can't flee from God's wrath like this” or “Do not think that you can flee from God's wrath just by being baptized” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
## from the wrath that is coming ##
Alternative translation: “from the punishment that is coming” or “from God's wrath that he is about to act on” or “because God is about to punish you.” The word “wrath” is being used to refer to God's punishment because his wrath precedes it. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
## We have Abraham for our father ##
"Abraham is our ancestor" or "We are descendants of Abraham"
## God is able to raise up children for Abraham even out of these stones ##
"God could make physical descendants out of even these stones and give them to Abraham"
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