Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“His teaching being practical, rather than doctrinal, required less frequent mention of Christ's name. scattered abroad--literally "which are in the dispersion." The dispersion of the Israelites, and their connection with Jerusalem as a center of religion, was…”

“Nothing but joy [PISCATOR]. Count all "divers temptations" to be each matter of joy [BENGEL]. fall into--unexpectedly, so as to be encompassed by them (so the original Greek). temptations--not in the limited sense of allurements to sin, but trials or distres…”

“Let endurance have a perfect work (taken out of the previous "worketh patience" or endurance), that is, have its full effect, by showing the most perfect degree of endurance, namely, "joy in bearing the cross" [MENOCHIUS], and enduring to the end (Mt 10:22) …”

“The highest wisdom, which governs patience alike in poverty and riches, is described in Jas 1:9, 10. ask-- (Jas 4:2). liberally--So the Greek is rendered by English Version. It is rendered with simplicity, Ro 12:8.”

“The words in this Jas 1:8 are in apposition with "that man," Jas 1:7; thus the "us," which is not in the original, will not need to be supplied, "A man double-minded, unstable in all his ways!" The word for "double-minded" is found here and in Jas 4:8, f…”

“This view meets all ALFORD'S objections to regarding "the rich" here as a "brother" at all. To avoid making the rich a brother, he translates, "But the rich glories in his humiliation," namely, in that which is really his debasement (his rich state, Php 3:19)…”

“Mt 20:12 uses the Greek word for "heat." Isa 40:7, "bloweth upon it," seems to answer to "the hot wind" here. grace of the fashion--that is of the external appearance. in his ways--referring to the burdensome extent of the rich man's devices [BENGEL]. Com…”

“The believer's heart fills up the omission, without the name needing to be mentioned. The "faithful One who promised" (Heb 10:23). to them that love him--In 2Ti 4:8, "the crown of righteousness to them that love His appearing." Love produces patient endura…”

“The Greek is not "tempted by," but, "from," implying indirect agency. cannot be tempted with evil, &c.--"Neither do any of our sins tempt God to entice us to worse things, nor does He tempt any of His own accord" (literally, "of Himself"; compare the antithes…”

“Even Satan's suggestions do not endanger us before they are made our own. Each one has his own peculiar (so the Greek) lust, arising from his own temperament and habit. Lust flows from the original birth-sin in man, inherited from Adam. drawn away--the beginn…”

“The guilty union is committed by the will embracing the temptress. "Lust," the harlot, then, "brings forth sin," namely, of that kind to which the temptation inclines. Then the particular sin (so the Greek implies), "when it is completed, brings forth death," …”

“Also, Father of the spiritual lights in the kingdom of grace and glory [BENGEL]. These were typified by the supernatural lights on the breastplate of the high priest, the Urim. As "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1Jo 1:5), He cannot in any w…”

“In contrast to "lust when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin . . . death" (Jas 1:15). Life follows naturally in connection with light (Jas 1:17). word of truth--the Gospel.”

“Man's angry zeal in debating, as if jealous for the honor of God's righteousness, is far from working that which is really righteousness in God's sight. True "righteousness is sown in peace," not in wrath (Jas 3:18).”

“Superfluous excess in speaking is also reprobated as "coming of evil" (the Greek is akin to the word for "naughtiness" here) in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:37), with which James' Epistle is so connected. with meekness--in mildness towards one another [ALF…”

“James here again refers to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 7:21-29). deceiving your own selves--by the logical fallacy (the Greek implies this) that the mere hearing is all that is needed.”

“As a man may behold his natural face in a mirror, so the hearer may perceive his moral visage in God's Word. This faithful portraiture of man's soul in Scripture, is the strongest proof of the truth of the latter. In it, too, we see mirrored God's glory, as we…”

“"Contemplate" here, and in Jas 1:23, implies that, though cursory, yet some knowledge of one's self, at least for the time, is imparted in hearing the word (1Co 14:24). and . . . and--The repetition expresses hastiness joined with levity [BENGEL]. forgett…”

“A blessed curiosity if it be efficacious in bearing fruit [BENGEL]. perfect law of liberty--the Gospel rule of life, perfect and perfecting (as shown in the Sermon on the Mount, Mt 5:48), and making us truly walk at liberty (Ps 119:32, Church of England P…”

“Pure . . . and undefiled--"Pure" is that love which has in it no foreign admixture, as self-deceit and hypocrisy. "Undefiled" is the means of its being "pure" [TITTMANN].”

“The "evil thoughts" are in the judges themselves; as in Lu 18:6, the Greek, "judge of injustice," is translated, "unjust judge." ALFORD and WAHL translate, "Did ye not doubt" (respecting your faith, which is inconsistent with the distinctions made by you bet…”

“1Co 1:26, 27, 28). rich in faith--Their riches consist in faith. Lu 12:21, "rich toward God." 1Ti 6:18, "rich in good works" (Re 2:9; compare 2Co 8:9). Christ's poverty is the source of the believer's riches. kingdom . . . promised-- (Lu 12:32;”

“To this the "indeed" alludes. "(Ye rest in the law): If indeed (then) ye fulfil it, ye do well; but if," &c. royal--the law that is king of all laws, being the sum and essence of the ten commandments. The great King, God, is love; His law is the royal law of …”

“Respect of persons violates the command to love all alike "as thyself." ye commit sin--literally, "ye work sin," Mt 7:23, to which the reference here is probably, as in Jas 1:22. Your works are sin, whatever boast of the law ye make in words (see on Jas 2…”

“You thus break the whole law, though not the whole of the law, because you offend against love, which is the fulfilling of the law. If any part of a man be leprous, the whole man is judged to be a leper.”