James 3:9
in James 3With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:
KJV
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
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This verse in James 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis too should be understood in an interrogative form, as also the following.
This site's exposition
bless we God
on James 3:9-10
Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men names the tongue's contradiction plainly, the same organ used for both. Men are made after the similitude of God, so cursing a man strikes at the image the blessing just honored in its maker. My brethren, these things ought not so to be closes the point without argument, the inconsistency left to convict on its own.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
on James 3:9-10
It is said of the seraphim that praise God, they dare not bring a railing accusation. And for men to reproach those who have not only the image of God in their natural faculties, but are renewed after the image of God by the grace of the gospel: this is a most shameful contradiction to all their pretensions of honouring the great Original.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Therewith bless we God - We men do this; that is, all this is done by the tongue. The apostle does not mean that the same man does this, but that all this is done by the same organ - the tongue. Even the Father - Who sustains to us the relation of a father. The point in the remark of the apostle is, the absurdity of employing the tongue in such contradictory uses as to bless one who has to us the relation of a father, and to curse any being, especially those who are made in his image.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
God--The oldest authorities read, "Lord." "Him who is Lord and Father." The uncommonness of the application of "Lord" to the Father, doubtless caused the change in modern texts to "God" (Jas 1:27). But as Messiah is called "Father," Isa 9:6, so God the Father is called by the Son's title, "Lord": showing the unity of the Godhead.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐν | en | With | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐτῇ | autea | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εὐλογοῦμεν | eulogoumen | we bless | G2127 → | |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριον | kurion | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πατέρα | patera | Father | G3962 → | 410 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | with | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐτῇ | autea | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καταρώμεθα | katarometha | we curse | G2672 → | |
| τοὺς | tous | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπους | anthropous | men | G444 → | 549 times |
| τοὺς | tous | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ὁμοίωσιν | homoiosin | [the] likeness | G3669 → | |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| γεγονότας· | gegonotas | having been made; | G1096 → | 667 times |
ἐνWith
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐτῇit
auteaG846 →5565 times
εὐλογοῦμενwe bless
eulogoumenG2127 →
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
κύριονLord
kurionG2962 →711 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πατέραFather
pateraG3962 →410 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνwith
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐτῇit
auteaG846 →5565 times
καταρώμεθαwe curse
kataromethaG2672 →
τοὺς<the>
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουςmen
anthropousG444 →549 times
τοὺςthose
tousG3588 →19766 times
καθ᾽according to
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ὁμοίωσιν[the] likeness
homoiosinG3669 →
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
γεγονότας·having been made;
gegonotasG1096 →667 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 33:31–33
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest…
- Jeremiah 12:2
You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
- Mark 7:2–13
and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
- Matthew 15:2–9
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Jeremiah 3:10
Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
- Ezekiel 33:31–33
Through
Genesis 9:6Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
it leads to
- Leviticus 24:17
And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.
- Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
- Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and…
- Leviticus 24:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About James
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on James.