9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.
For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.
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 sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.
Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
> I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.
Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn't delight in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, Like oil into his bones.
My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, For they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God's likeness.
For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, Let them be caught in their pride, For the curses and lies which they utter.
Wake up, my glory! Wake up, psaltery and harp! I will wake up the dawn.
My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.
> I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety.
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, Shall Shimei not be put to death for this, because he cursed Yahweh's anointed?
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.