James 3:10-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - James 3:1-12

The foregoing chapter shows how unprofitable and dead faith is without works. It is plainly intimated by what this chapter first goes upon that such a faith is, however, apt to make men conceited and magisterial in their tempers and their talk. Those who set up faith in the manner the former chapter condemns are most apt to run into those sins of the tongue which this chapter condemns. And indeed the best need to be cautioned against a dictating, censorious, mischievous use of their tongues.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - James 3:13-18

As the sins before condemned arise from an affectation of being thought more wise than others, and being endued with more knowledge than they, so the apostle in these verses shows the difference between men's pretending to be wise and their being really so, and between the wisdom which is from beneath (from earth or hell) and that which is from above. I. We have some account of true wisdom, with the distinguishing marks and fruits of it: Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you?... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 3:9-12

3:9-12 With it we bless the Lord and Father and with it we curse the men who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth there emerge blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers. Surely the one stream from the same cleft in the rock does not gush forth fresh and salt water? Surely, brothers, a fig-tree cannot produce olives, nor a vine figs, nor can salt water produce fresh water? We know only too well from experience that there is a cleavage in human... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 3:13-14

3:13-14 Who among you is a man of wisdom and of understanding? Let him show by the loveliness of his behaviour that all he does is done with gentleness. If in your hearts you have a zeal that is bitter, and selfish ambition, do not be arrogantly boastful about your attainments, for you are false to the truth. James goes back, as it were, to the beginning of the chapter. His argument runs like this: "Is there any of you who wishes to be a real sage and a real teacher? Then let him live a... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 3:15-16

3:15-16 Such wisdom is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but is earthly, characteristic of the natural man, inspired by the devil. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil thing. This bitter and arrogant wisdom, so-called, is very different from real wisdom. James first of all describes it in itself, and then in its effects. In itself it is three things. (i) It is earthly. Its standards and sources are earthly. It measures success in... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 3:17-18

3:17-18 The wisdom which comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, willing to yield, full of mercy and of good fruits, undivided in mind, without hypocrisy. For the seed which one day produces the reward which righteousness brings can only be sown when personal relationships are right and by those whose conduct produces such relationships. The Jewish sages were always agreed that the true wisdom came from above. It was not the attainment. of man but the gift of God.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 3:17-18

(iv) The true wisdom is eupeithes ( Greek #2138 ). Here we must make a choice between two meanings. (a) Eupeithes ( Greek #2138 ) can mean ever ready to obey. The first of William Law's rules for life was, "To fix it deep in my mind that I have but one business upon my hands, to seek for eternal happiness by doing the will of God." If we take the word in this sense, it means that the truly wise man is for ever ready to obey whenever God's voice comes to him. (b) Eupeithes ( Greek... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 3:10

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing ,.... Which is not only a contradiction, but unnatural, as well as wicked and sinful: my brethren, these things ought not so to be : in any, and much less in professors of religion: such things are unbecoming men, are a scandal upon human nature, and exceeding unworthy of the Christian name; see Psalm 50:16 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 3:11

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place ,.... "Or hole"; for at divers places, and at different times, as Pliny F13 Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 103. observes, it may send forth sweet water and bitter : and it is reported F14 Isodor. Hispal. Originum, l. 13. c. 13. p. 115. , there is a lake with the Trogloditae, a people in Ethiopia, which becomes thrice a day bitter, and then as often sweet; but then it does not yield sweet water and bitter at the same time: this simile is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 3:12

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries ?.... Every tree bears fruit, according to its kind; a fig tree produces figs, and an olive tree olive berries; a fig tree does not produce olive berries, or an olive tree figs; and neither of them both: either a vine, figs ? or fig trees, grapes; or either of them, figs and grapes: so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh . The Alexandrian copy reads, "neither can the salt water yield sweet water"; that is, the sea cannot... read more

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