James 2:10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - James 2:8-13

The apostle, having condemned the sin of those who had an undue respect of persons, and having urged what was sufficient to convict them of the greatness of this evil, now proceeds to show how the matter may be mended; it is the work of a gospel ministry, not only to reprove and warn, but to teach and direct. Col. 1:28; Warning every man, and teaching every man. And here, I. We have the law that is to guide us in all our regards to men set down in general. If you fulfil the royal law,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 2:8-11

2:8-11 If you perfectly keep the royal law, as the Scripture has it: "You must love your neighbour as yourself," you do well. But if you treat people with respect of persons, such conduct is sin and you stand convicted by the law as transgressors. For, if a man keeps the whole law and yet fails to keep it in one point, he becomes guilty of transgressing the law as a whole. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." If you do not commit adultery but kill, you become a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 2:10

For whosoever shall keep the whole law ,.... Or the greatest part of it, excepting only in one point, as follows: Adam, in a state of innocence, was able to keep the whole law, but by sin he lost that power, nor can any of his posterity now keep it perfectly: they are all transgressors of it, and liable to its penalty; unregenerate men are not obedient to it, and have an aversion to it, and despise it, and cast it behind their backs; regenerate persons, who love it, and delight in it, after... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - James 2:10

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, etc. - This is a rabbinical form of speech. In the tract Shabbath, fol. 70, where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works commanded by Moses, Rabbi Yochanan says: But if a man do the whole, with the omission of one, he is guilty of the whole, and of every one. In Bammidar rabba, sec. 9, fol. 200, and in Tanchum, fol. 60, there is a copious example given, how an adulteress, by that one crime, breaks all the ten commandments, and by the same mode... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - James 2:10

Verse 10 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law. What alone he means is, that God will not be honored with exceptions, nor will he allow us to cut off from his law what is less pleasing to us. At the first view, this sentence seems hard to some, as though the apostle countenanced the paradox of the Stoics, which makes all sins equal, and as though he asserted that he who offends in one thing ought to be punished equally with him whose whole life has been sinful and wicked. But it is evident... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:1-13

WARNING AGAINST RESPECT OF PERSONS . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:1-13

Respect of persons is inconsistent with the first principles of Christianity. 1. One great function of Christianity was to create a sphere in which there should be neither Jew nor Gentile, Greek nor barbarian, bond nor free. "All equal are within the Church's gate" is true, not only of the material building, but equally of the spiritual fabric of the Catholic Church, which, like her Divine Head, is no respecter of persons. Bengel well remarks that the equality of Christians, indicated... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:1-13

Respect of persons. Amongst the other evils of which these Christian Jews were guilty, was the gross evil of respect of persons. James presents the scene graphically, according to his wont. There is the synagogue, with the worshippers gathering for worship, some taking the good places, as it were the chancel-seats, near to the ark with the roll of the Law, and to the table of the Lord; some the lower seats, away from the speaker anti the Word. When, lo, a rich man enters, some stranger to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:8-11

Stumbling in one point. In these verses James takes the high ground that "respect of persons" is a transgression of the law by which we are to be judged; anal one which, like every other, involves the guilt of breaking the whole law. I. TO RESPECT PERSONS IS TO COMMIT SIN . (Verses 8, 9) It involves disobedience to " the royal law. " This is a noticeable expression. Any Divine commandment may be described as "royal," seeing that it emanates from the supreme... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:10

In this verse the subjunctives τηρήσῃ πταίσῃ , are rightly read by the Revisors, with א , B, C. The Law was express on the need of keeping all the commandments; see Le 19:37 (the same chapter to which St. James has already referred), καὶ φυλάξωσθε πάντα τὸν νόμον μου καὶ πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά ) . He is guilty of all. The very same thought is found in rabbinical writers (Talmud, 'Schabbath,' fol. 70); a saying of R. Johanan: "Quodsi racist... read more

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