9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:
For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Then began he to curse and to swear, I know not the man. And straightway the cock crew.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope:
for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
So will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Blessed `be' the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
I will extol thee, my God, O King; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.
My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long; For they are put to shame, for they are confounded, that seek my hurt. Psalm 72 `A Psalm' of Solomon.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
`For' the sin of their mouth, `and' the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early.
And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness `And' of thy praise all the day long. Psalm 36 For the Chief Musician. `A Psalm' of David the servant of Jehovah.
I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
Wherefore David blessed Jehovah before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's anointed?
And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod `the grapes', and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on James 3
Commentary on James 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle here reproves ambition, and an arrogant magisterial tongue; and shows the duty and advantage of bridling it because of its power to do mischief. Those who profess religion ought especially to govern their tongues (v. 1-12). True wisdom makes men meek, and avoiders of strife and envy: and hereby it may easily be distinguished from a wisdom that is earthly and hypocritical (v. 13-18).
Jam 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. We are therefore taught,
Jam 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.