Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of James 3:2

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.

2. we offend all ] The word is the same as that in ch. Jas 2:10. See note there.

a perfect man ] One who has attained the fulness of moral growth, as in 1Co 14:20, Heb 5:14, the same word denotes that of physical growth. Control of speech is named, not as in itself constituting perfection, but as a crucial test indicating whether the man has or has not attained unto it.

able also to bridle the whole body ] St James returns to the besetting sin of those to whom he writes, uses the same phrase as in ch. Jas 1:26, and then proceeds to develope the metaphor which it suggests. The “whole body” is used to sum up the aggregate of all the temptations which come to us through the avenues of sense.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For in many things we offend all – We all offend. The word here rendered offend, means to stumble, to fall; then to err, to fail in duty; and the meaning here is, that all were liable to commit error, and that this consideration should induce men to be cautious in seeking an office where an error would be likely to do so much injury. The particular thing, doubtless, which the apostle had in his eye, was the peculiar liability to commit error, or to do wrong with the tongue. Of course, this liability is very great in an office where the very business is public speaking. If anywhere the improper use of the tongue will do mischief, it is in the office of a religious teacher; and to show the danger of this, and the importance of caution in seeking that office, the apostle proceeds to show what mischief the tongue is capable of effecting.

If any man offend not in word – In his speech; in the use of his tongue.

The same is a perfect man – Perfect in the sense in which the apostle immediately explains himself; that he is able to keep every other member of his body in subjection. His object is not to represent the man as absolutely spotless in every sense, and as wholly free from sin, for he had himself just said that all offend in many things; but the design is to show that if a man can control his tongue, he has complete dominion over himself, as much as a man has over a horse by the bit, or as a steersman has over a ship if he has hold of the rudder. He is perfect in that sense, that he has complete control over himself, and will not be liable to error in anything. The design is to show the important position which the tongue occupies, as governing the whole man. On the meaning of the word perfect, see the notes at Job 1:1.

And able also to bridle the whole body – To control his whole body, that is, every other part of himself, as a man does a horse by the bridle. The word rendered to bridle, means to lead or guide with a bit; then to rein in, to check, to moderate, to restrain. A man always has complete government over himself if he has the entire control of his tongue. It is that by which he gives expression to his thoughts and passions; and if that is kept under proper restraint, all the rest of his members are as easily controlled as the horse is by having the control of the bit.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Jam 3:2

In many things we offend all

No perfection in this life

I.

How THIS APPEARS.

1. From other passages of Scripture (Ecc 7:20; Pr 2Ch 6:36; 1Jn 1:8; 1Jn 1:10).

2. That none can expect to arrive at a sinless perfection in this life will appear, if we consider the many instances which are recorded in the Scripture of the sins of some of the most eminent saints and servants of God.

3. The experience of our own times confirms this same sad truth, that all have their infirmities, and in many things offend.

4. That all do and will offend in many things, will appear if we consider the extensiveness and spirituality of the law of God.

5. Natural corruption is not fully subdued in any here on earth; therefore in many things all will offend.

6. You are here on earth in a state of temptation, and therefore will not be sinless till you leave the world.

II. IN WHAT RESPECTS WE ALL OFFEND.

1. With regard to the disposition and inclination of the heart.

2. As to the internal employment of the mind.

3. In our communication.

4. In innumerable ways in the actions of life. Conclusion:

1. Here we may infer the impropriety of being saved by the covenant of works, the terms of which were unerring obedience–Do this, and live.

2. See here what infinite reason you have to bless God for the new covenant; herein is your salvation.

3. See here how highly you are concerned to seek an interest in this new covenant.

4. You must take heed that you do not take encouragement to be in the least degree more careless in your life from the miscarriages of good men.

5. Though you will never be able to keep Gods commandments perfectly whilst you are in the present state, yet you should press on towards perfection, (T. Whitty.)

The sins of good men

1. None are absolutely freed and exempted from sinning (1Jn 1:8; Pro 20:9). Well, then–

(1) Walk with more caution; you carry a sinning heart about you. As long as there is fuel for temptation we cannot be secure; he that hath gunpowder about him will be afraid of sparkles.

(2) Censure with the more tenderness; give every action the allowance of human frailty (Gal 6:1).

(3) Be the more earnest with God for grace; God will keep you still dependent, and beholden to His power.

(4) Magnify the love of God with the more praise. Paul groaneth under his corruptions (Rom 7:1-25., latter end); and then admireth the happiness of those that are in Christ (Rom 8:1).

2. The sins of the best are many.

(1) Be not altogether dismayed at the sight of failings. A godly person observed that Christians were usually to blame for three things: They seek for that in themselves which they can only find in Christ; for that in the law which shall only be had in the gospel; and that upon earth which shall only be enjoyed in heaven. We complain of sin; and when shall the earthly estate be free? You should not murmur, but run to your Advocate.

(2) However, bewail these failings, the evils that abound in your hearts, in your duties, that you cannot serve God as entirely as you served Satan; your evil works were merely evil, but your good are not purely good; there your heart was poured out (Jud 1:11), here it is restrained; there isfilthiness in your righteousness (Isa 64:1-12.)

3. To be able to bridle the tongue is an argument of some growth and happy progress in grace (Pro 18:21; Mat 12:37; Pro 13:3). There were special reasons why our apostle should be so much in pressing it.

(1) Because this was the sin of that age, as appeareth by the frequent dissuasions from vain boasting of themselves, and detracting from others, in the 1Jam 2:1-26 nd chapters; and it is a high point of grace not to be snared with the evils of our own times.

(2) It is the best discovery of the heart; speech is the express image of it Mat 12:34).

(3) It is the hypocrites sin; they abstain from grosser actions, but usually offend in their words, in boasting professions, and proud censures (see Jam 1:26).

(4) All of us are apt to offend with the tongue many ways; most of a mans sins are in his words.

(5) It is a sin into which we usually and easily fall, partly by reason of that quick intercourse that is between the tongue and the heart–we sin in an instant; and partly because speech is a human act which is performed without labour; and so we sin that way incogitantly, without noting or judging it. Well, then, take care, not only of your actions, but your speeches (Psa 39:1).

Consider–

1. Your speeches are noted. Xenophon would have all speeches written, to make men more serious. They are recorded (Jam 2:12). Every idle word is brought into judgment (Mat 12:36): light words weigh heavy in Gods balance.

2. They are punished (Psa 64:8).

3. Consider what a vile thing it is to abuse the tongue to strife, censure, or insultation.

4. It is not of small regard that God in nature would show that He hath set bounds to the tongue: He hath hedged it in with a row of teeth. For apt remedies–

(1) Get a pure heart; there is the tongues treasury and storehouse. A good man is always ready to discourse, not forced by the company, but because the law of God is in his heart (Pr

15:7).

(2) Watch and guard speech (Pro 30:32).

(3) All our endeavours are nothing. Go to God (Psa 141:3).

(4) That you may not offend in your words, let them be often employed about holy uses (Eph 4:29). (T. Manton.)

Christian imperfection

I. SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN WHICH BELIEVERS OFFEND.

1. In the exercises of the heart. Many remains of the carnal mind.

2. In the communications of their lips.

3. In the actions of their lives.

II. FROM WHENCE ARISE THESE IMPERFECTIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

1. From the absolute purity of the Divine law. Transcript of the

Divine mind.

2. From the frailty and weakness of human nature.

3. From unwatchfulness and neglect. Not sufficiently alive to our best interests. Graces allowed to be languid, &c.

III. WHAT INFLUENCE SHOULD A CONSIDERATION OF OUR IMPERFECTIONS PRODUCE UPON US?

1. Deep humility.

2. Spiritual diligence.

3. Fervent prayer.

4. Forbearance and charity to others.

5. Excite within us a longing for heaven. There we shall be sinless inhabitants of a sinless world. (J. Buries. D. D.)

There are none blameless

A gentleman of the perfectionist school of thought called to see an old Christian of his neighbourhood, and began enlarging upon that interesting topic. Can you point to a single perfect man or woman in the Bible? inquired the aged saint. Yes, readily answered the other; turn to Luk 1:6, you will there read of two–Elisabeth and Zacharias walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. Then you consider yourself a believer like Zacharias? Certainly I do, said the visitor. Ah, replied the old man, I thought you might be; and we read a few verses further on that he was struck dumb for his unbelief.

Faults

Bad men excuse their faults, good men will leave them. (Johnson.)

We all have faults

I have been a good deal up and down in the world, and I never did see either a perfect horse or a perfect man, and I never shall until two Sundays come together. The old saying is, Lifeless, faultless. Of dead men we would say nothing but good, but as for the living, they are all tarred more or less with the black brush, and half an eye can see it. Every head has a soft place in it, and every heart has its black drop. Every rose has its prickles, and every day its night. Even the sun shows spots, and skies are darkened with clouds. Nobody is so wise but he has folly enough to stock a stall at Vanity Fair. Where I have not seen the fools cap, I have, nevertheless, heard the bells jingle. As there is no sunshine without some shadow, so is all human good mixed up with more or less evil; even poor law guardians have their little failings, and parish beadles are not wholly of heavenly nature. The best wine has its lees. All mens faults are not written on their foreheads, and its quite as well they are not, or hats would need wide brims; yet as sure as eggs are eggs, faults of some sort nestle in every mans bosom. There is no telling when a mans sins may show themselves, for hares pop out of a ditch just when you are not looking for them. A horse that is weak in the legs may not stumble for a mile or two, but its in him, and the rider had better hold him up well. The tabby-cat is not lapping milk just now, but leave the dairy door open, and we shall see if she is not as bad a thief as the kitten. Theres fire in the flint, cool as it looks; wait till the steel gets a knock at it, and you will see. Everybody can read that riddle, but it is not everybody that will remember to keep his gunpowder out of the way of the candle. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

All are deficient when tried by Divine law

Judgment is comparison of things with some standard. There are standard weights and measures in the Tower to which all in the country ought to conform, and if not they are condemned. So a mason judges by his plumb-line of a wall, if true to the perpendicular. If an inspector of weights and measures finds a tradesman using false ones, he takes him before a magistrate for punishment. If the builder finds the wall untrue, he orders it to be pulled down. Now God has a standard by which He judges us, viz., His holy law; and it is because we know we are deficient that the word judgment has such an awful sound to us, for we know that to the sinner it includes condemnation and punishment.

If any man offend not in word

On the evils of speech

I. I SHALL BEGIN WITH MAKING SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON THE SUBJECT IN GENERAL.

1. The first general observation which occurs to us upon this subject is the difficulty of ruling the tongue. When a man looks into his own mind, the mass of thoughts of all kinds which he meets with there will amaze him. All mens ideas are much alike, and wisdom consists more in the degree of power which a man has to restrain his thoughts, and bring only such forth as are proper, than in the thoughts themselves. What renders it still more difficult to oppose this mass are the passions by which it is often agitated. These press upon it with violence, and force for themselves a passage. Temptations, too, add their pressure, unguarded moments offer, and men are almost always employed, from various motives, to draw your defence, and to draw your thoughts from you. Difficult, however, as the government of speech is, we must observe that it is not impracticable. If a man cannot restrain it completely, he has it in his power at least to moderate it.

2. The second general observation, which offers itself to us upon the government of speech, is the simplicity of it, considered as a method of governing the passions. In the most complex machines there is always one part of them which commands the rest, and a small degree of power applied there will stop their most multiplex operations. It seems in the present case to be exactly so with man. When you restrain the tongue you stop the passions at their commanding point. You do not merely drive them back into their repositories, but you destroy their motion and their force. They acquire strength from motion, and the way to keep them quiet is to restrain them at the issue. This is done easily if you apply your care at the mouth, and suppress the first expression of them. Prevent the movement of the passions and you prevent their violence.

II. I COME NOW TO CONSIDER PARTICULARLY THE ABUSES OF IT IN SOCIETY, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF OBTAINING SOME SHARE AT LEAST OF DUE GOVERNMENT OVER IT.

1. TO this part of the subject let me proceed by observing, first in general, that much talking of any kind is but a bad practice. It is a sure waste of time in the first place, and is apt to lead a man into a habit of trifling in the next. But the greatest disadvantage of all is, that much speaking is an enemy to much thinking. The man who talks perpetually is also constantly in danger of discovering what he should conceal, and of prejudicing, by this means, both his own affairs and those of other men. How many occasions of offence, how many breaches among friends, holy many fatal enmities have arisen from this cause! The system of education adopted by the Persians was simple, but extremely rational. They taught their youth two things: to be secret, and to tell the truth. This was well adapted to inspire both the confidence and the respect of men.

2. In the second place, let me observe that the evils of speech, upon a general view of them, may be considered as arising from two sources: design and accident, and frequently also from a mixture of both.

3. I shall now mention, as shortly as possible, the most remarkable classes of vain talkers with which life is pestered, and society so often set on fire.

(1) The first class whom I shall mention are your abusive talkers. These people value themselves upon nothing so much as upon putting a sober person out of countenance, and they recount their victories of this sort with as much pleasure as if they had performed some memorable achievements. What they say does not necessarily proceed from malice, and they will be friends with you next day if you desire it. But they have the misfortune to be born with violent passions, and as they have never been taught to restrain them, they have at last lost all self-command, and are under the necessity of giving vent to them.

(2) The second class of talkers, or of people who offend in word, are your evil speakers. These are your people who are noted in society for a most unhappy habit of detracting from the merit, or of censuring the actions and the lives of others.

(3) The last class of talkers whom I shall mention here, and who abuse the faculty of speech more than all the rest, are your plain liars. This is a most amazing set of people. They have acquired a habit which is most pernicious to society, and to their own minds. It misleads others and destroys their own principles. It is not only pernicious, but contemptible. (John Mackenzie, D. D.)

The use of the tongue

1. The use of the tongue constitutes a large portion of human business. It is by that organ that very many of the most important transactions of life are carried on. Speech has been appropriately called the rudder that steereth human affairs, the spring that setteth the wheels of action on going.

(2) Speech is the index of the mind (Psa 39:3). Thought and feeling dictate the language of the lips; and a habitually right use of speech is an indication of a habitually right condition of the mind. Speak, said Socrates, that I may see thee. The whirlwind of the tongue is but the outburst of the tumult of the soul. Wise, meek, and generous discourse is the counterpart of the enlightened, tranquil, and benevolent spirit which possesses the hidden man of the heart.

3. It is a work of much difficulty tightly to regulate the tongue. On the one hand, it is a very facile member, often called, and easily roused, into active exercise; and on the other, one is apt not to associate the idea of so much guilt as is readily attributed to the sins of outward action with an ill-regulated tongue–insomuch that many who would not blasphemously say, Our lips are our own, who is lord over us? do not reckon themselves bound to watch, with any special diligence, over what they say.

4. As fearful evil is wont to result from the violation by the tongue of the laws of piety, truth, charity, chastity, and wisdom, so its right regulation is taught with glorious effects to him who speaks, and, it may be, also to him who hears. (A. S. Patterson, D. D.)

Helpful and unhelpful speech

There cannot be a doubt that speech may be the most helpful or unhelpful of all the powers we possess; because it is the expression of our inward life, whatever that inward life may be. And it is not the amount of speech we are capable of which is the main consideration in the ease, so much as the quality and quantity of heart which lies at the back of the tongue which determines the helpfulness or unhelpfulness of speech. A sensitive man would about as soon his enemy came and put a dagger into his heart and finish him, as go about stabbing him behind his back with cruel words. For there are words in which the spirit of murder lurks. We may be naturally very ready of speech or very slow of speech–inconveniently candid or reticent even to niggard-ness; and yet our speech will be helpful or unhelpful to others according to the condition of heart which lies behind it. And so the old text, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life, controls the region covered by the word speech. If there be envy in the heart, its tone will get into the speech. If there be hatred in the heart, the speech will betray it to all who have educated ears. If there be a settled deposit of uncharitableness in the heart, a report of it will be in the speech–not only in the matter of it, but especially in the manner of it. So that the first and chief necessity to helpful speech–that without which speech would be very unhelpful–is to keep the heart with all diligence. If we allow evil feelings to take up their abode in our hearts, speech cannot be helpful. If there be a skunk in the cellar, it will be known in every room of the house without asking the eyes to look upon the creature itself hiding away in the basement. The lovableness or lovelessness of the heart is certain to report itself in helpful or unhelpful speech. And so, in order to alter the quality of speech, if it needs altering, we must begin at the centre; we must keep the heart with all diligence, because speech is only one of the streams which issue out of it. The art of speech has been studied from Aristotle downwards. But the morals of speech, the spiritual meaning of helpful and unhelpful speech, this region has not been adequately explored. Such a subject as this–how to be a good conversationalist, interests not a few, because it suggests that this ability may be acquired. How much larger and more important than that is this; how to be under no undue restraint in speech; how to be free, easy, and at home in the use of this faculty and yet how to be always helpful and not unhelpful in the employment of it. Remembering, then, that speech is a sign, a revealer, both as to matter and manner, and that the first necessity for helpful speech is a regenerated heart–that is, a heart in which envy, hatred, and uncharitableness are not encouraged as guests; but if one or the other of them pay a short visit they are never made welcome and entertained as a guest, never supplied with bed and board–remembering this, that without an honest and good heart, continuous honest and good speech is an impossibility–we may be allowed to say that the power of helpful speech will increase in the ratio of our own self-improvement; as the result of processes of inward growth. The rational conversableness of men will come as an effect of their improved rationality. If you have read well, and looked about, and thought on what you have seen, you will show good quality in your speech, and I repeat, it is the quality in the speech which is the main thing towards its helpfulness. If your words be stumbling and broken, the matter and the meaning will redeem them from contempt. It may be sad to have nothing to say, but it is much sadder to say a great deal with nothing in it. Gilded surface easily passes in the stead of golden substance. We cannot, of course, speak helpfully or at all without words, unless we allow that the silent expression of the eye and many other signs are language; but we are not occupied with those mute organs of eloquence now; and yet words are so different from each other that they make speech this or that according to the words chosen. Some words are a blank wall; others are windows through which you see a varied landscape beyond. Real eloquence is always rich in these transparent words. Every great thinker suggests more than he says. Thought starts thinking. I am more and more convinced, however, that speech is helpful or unhelpful, according to the feeling with which it is satured. The same words uttered by two different persons produce effects in feeling, oh, how different! Have you never known what it is to feel a kind of shudder from a compliment–something intended to be sweet, but it was not satured with sweetness? In another case some one comes to you and tries to say a severe thing, attempts reproof, even satire, and the thing fails utterly because the individual has not venom enough in his nature to kill a fly. And so, if you will give attention to the matter you will find that words carry feeling quite as much as they carry intelligence. (Reuen Thomas, D. D.)

Offences of the tongue

Any one who carefully studies Scripture is often struck with this, that the sacred writers attach the most serious importance to duties of which men make but little account; so here–one who knows how lightly Christians regard the duty of not offending in word is impressed with the solemnity with which the apostle treats the obligation–looking upon the whole character as concerned in it; for he sayswhoever is faithful in this respect is a thorough man, strong in self-mastery, equal to all the duties of life. He considers faithfulness or unfaithfulness in this respect as a sure indication of the presence or want of Christian principle;–yes, the surest, for it is only in unguarded hours that his character appears precisely as it is. Words flow carelessly and unthought-of from the tongue; they come from the overflowing of the heart. The apostle also calls our attention to the effect which the management of the tongue has upon the life. It is, he says, as the bit to the horse or the rudder to the vessel; it determines which way we shall go. Thus he thinks that a mans course is not only indicated, but also shaped, by his conduct in this respect. There is another view which he takes of the subject, which is new and strange to many. He says that harsh and bitter language cannot come from a good heart. But let us look a little more nearly at some of those offences of the tongue which the apostle considers so dangerous. First, there are those sharp and angry words of which we hear so many in the world. How often do we see the flashing eye and the cheek flushed with passion, and hear the most savage and bitter retorts and replies from lips which are also opened in prayer to God–how sincerely, how acceptably, we must leave it for eternity to tell! Men think very little of these things; the passion subsides, and they feel as if all was the same as before. But no. As each autumnal storm affects the foliage and hurries on the wintry desolation, so does each and every storm of passion leave much unseen injury, though perhaps few visible traces in the heart. It is impossible to overestimate the injury which is done by these hasty excesses. Human beings are connected with each other by many fine and delicate ties; and this flame of hasty anger burns them like tow. At every flash some of them snap asunder, and there is no power that can replace them. Again, there is a sort of violent language where there is not much anger, but rather malice and bitterness strongly felt and strongly expressed, and, strange as it may seem, indulged in without the least consciousness of sin. How little moral sensibility there is in relation to this appears from the manner of some who think it a crime to smite with the fist of wickedness, but indemnify themselves for this forbearance by using the hardest terms of reproach which the language affords;–as if the bands of love bound nothing but the hands; as if, not striking with the sword, they might strike the harder with the edge of the tongue! The most painful exhibition we ever see of this kind of violent language is witnessed in the exciting times of party. To this the apostles strong terms, earthly, sensual, devilish, would most fitly apply. There is something appalling in this cannibal spirit, perfectly unscrupulous, perfectly hateful, in which so many indulge with perfect unconsciousness of their guilt and danger, though to a superior being who listened to their voice it would seem as if the world had broken entirely loose from the moral government of God. In the intercourse of social life there are many things which show how difficult, and yet how necessary, it is to apply religious principle to the words–difficult because we do not think what we are doing. But we ought to think, it is our duty to think, what we are doing; and the neglect of this duty is the last thing that we can plead in excuse for injurious language or any other sin. There are many who enjoy ridicule cast upon others, and many also who are ready to cast it, showing off their penetrating discernment and power of sarcasm without reflecting that they are guilty of inhumanity–that every indulgence of the kind is a sin against God and His law of love; without reflecting, too, that every indulgence of the kind is exerting a petrifying power upon their own hearts. There are many ways in which the law of love is broken in the social intercouse of life, broken by that thoughtless malice which is so common, but which, however thoughtless, is malice still. Whoever retails the floating reproach, whoever puts a bad construction on the conduct of another, whoever deals bitterly and harshly with the character of others, may do it thoughtlessly, but still he is responsible, perhaps the more so; for if he were conscientious he would reflect, and never, except in cases of necessity, say that which may injure anothers feelings, reputation, or peace. There is one way in which unmeasured evil is brought into social life. It is by repeating to a friend the evil that has been said of him by another. If you produce any alienation or unkindness, you do it at your peril; and however you may say you did not think of it, the day will come when you will be obliged to think of it with a heavy heart. We may see in the conversation of social life many other things which show the wisdom and necessity of the charge to be swift to hear, but slow to speak. How many there are who talk themselves into what they call their opinions! When any subject is presented they speak without reflection, according to their impressions, or party associations, or perhaps guided by chance alone, and what they have once happened to say becomes their opinion. They maintain it not seriously and earnestly, as they would if they had seriously formed it; but when they hear it questioned they become angry with those who differ from them, because they have thought upon the subject and deliberately make up their minds. When we consider how much our judgment of moral questions, our views of what is passing round us, our feelings towards others–indeed, how much all the interests of the mind and heart are involved in this thoughtless way of speaking, we see how important it becomes to set a guard at the door of our lips, suffering nothing to pass till we at least know what it is–till we consider whether it will go forth for good or for evil, whether it will be a blessing or a curse to mankind. (W. B. O. Peabody, D. D.)

The government of the tongue

I. IF IT BE OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THAT THE MOUTH SPEAKETH, THEN THE UTTERANCE OF THE TONGUE IS ONE OF THE SUREST INDICATIONS OF THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE HEART. Falsehood, evasion, artifice, dissimulation, may for a time conceal the state of the heart, but when unmasked, they declare it as surely as the most genuine expressions of sincerity can.

II. AND WHAT ARE THE MEANS WHICH THE NEW, OR PERFECT MAN USES, IN ORDER THAT HE MAY NOT OFFEND IN WORD?

1. First he lives in an atmosphere of prayer, and in watchfulness against every outward influence that might surprise him into the inconsistency of speaking hastily or unadvisedly with his tongue.

2. If the habit of consideration be needful at all times, it is especially needful when we are conscious of any excitement of our inward feelings, occasioned by outward circumstances beyond our control.

3. The perfect man, the true child of God, is studiously careful for the welfare, while he respects the very feelings of others; and on this account he bridles his tongue, so that he may not, by even an inconsiderate word, injure the one, or wound the other.

4. There is another respect in which the true Christian, aiming at real consistency, is perpetually watchful. Having become aware of those subjects which most occasioned the sinful utterance of his tongue, before he received from God the power of bridling it, he now resolutely abstains altogether from these subjects. If they recur to his mind, he represses them; if unexpectedly he be drawn into them by others, and if at any time he feels tempted to speak in a way that becomes him not of others, he perhaps calls to mind what has been very wisely and truly said, Weak and foolish minds chatter about persons; strong and wise minds converse about things. And then will come to his aid some holy admonition from the Word of God; or he will call to mind the words of David–I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, when the wicked is before me. Hence he will take heed, that when provoked by the perversity of others, or when wounded by their unbridled tongue, no unchristian bitterness of retort shall escape his lips. (G. Fisk, LL. B.)

The government of the tongue

I. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE DUE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE.

1. The proper restraint of the tongue.

(1) The preservation of a seasonable silence.

(2) Constant care to avoid those sins of the tongue into which men are in most danger of being betrayed. Profaneness: Lying: Slander: Talebearing.

2. A proper employment of the tongue.

(1) We should be ever ready to employ our tongues in contributing, as we may be able, to the interest and instruction of the social circle.

(2) We muss ever be ready, as occasion may call for it, to testify our regard for Christ and determined obedience to His will.

(3) We should watch for and improve every occasion of using this faculty, in suggesting such hints as our own circumstances will justify us in offering, and as the cases of others may evidently require.

II. THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF THE DUE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE. This will appear when we view it–

1. As a criterion of our Christian character, and the extent of our religious attainments.

2. The powerful influence of speech over the human passions and conduct.

3. The solemn responsibility in which we are involved, in reference to the government of the tongue (Mat 12:36-37).

III. SUGGESTIONS WHICH MAY AID IN ATTAINING A DUE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE.

1. Let us seek a renewed and more spiritual state of the heart and affections.

2. Let special vigilance be exerted where special danger is probable. If brought into the society of the ungodly, let us take heed, like David, that we sin not with our tongue; that we are not betrayed by the force of example or the power of ridicule into a levity or impropriety of speech we may have cause to regret.

3. Let us earnestly implore Divine assistance and Divine restraint.

4. Let us seek habitually to conduct all the intercourse of life with a more vivid impression of our accountability to God. (Essex Remembrancer.)

Not to offend in word, an evidence of a high pitch of virtue

1. A good governance of speech is a strong evidence of a good mind; of a mind pure from vicious desires, calm from disorderly passions, void of dishonest intentions.

2. From hence, that the use of speech is itself a great ingredient into our practice, and hath a very general influence on whatever we do, may be inferred, that whoever governeth it well cannot also but well order his whole life.

3. To govern the tongue well is a matter of exceeding difficulty, requiring not only hearty goodness, but great judgment and art, together with much vigilance and circumspection; whence the doing it argues a high pitch of virtue.

4. Irregular speech hath commonly more advantages for it, and fewer checks on it, than other bad practices have: that is, a man is apt to speak ill with less dissatisfaction and regret from within; he may do it with less control and hazard from without, than he can act ill.

5. Whereas most of the enormities and troubles whereby the souls of men are defiled and their lives disquieted are the fruits of ill-governed speech, he that by well governing it preserves himself from guilt and inconvenience, must necessarily be, not only a wise and happy, but a good and worthy person.

6. His tongue also so ruled cannot but produce very good fruits of honour to God, of benefit to his neighbour, and of comfort to himself.

7. The observation how unusual this practice is, in any good degree, may strongly assure us of its excellency: for the rarer, especially in morals, any good thing is, the more noble and worthy it is; that rarity arguing somewhat of peculiar difficulty in the attainment of it. (I. Barrow, D. D.)

Offences of speech

The offences of speech are various in kind; so many as there be of thought and of action, unto which they do run parallel: accordingly they well may be distinguished from the difference of objects which they do specially respect. Whence

1. Some of them are committed against God, and confront piety;

2. Others against our neighbour, and violate justice, or charity, or peace;

3. Others against ourselves, infringing sobriety, discretion, or modesty; or,

4. Some are of a more general and abstracted nature, rambling through all matters, and crossing all the heads of duty. Now I shall confine my discourse to the first sort, the offences against piety; and even of them I shall only touch two or three, insinuating some reasons why we should eschew them.

These are–

1. Speaking blasphemously against God, or reproachfully concerning religion, or to the disgrace of piety, with intent to subvert mens faith in God, or to impair their reverence of Him. This of all impieties is the most prodigiously gigantic, the most signal practice of enmity towards God, and downright waging of war against heaven. Of all weapons formed against God, the tongue most notoriously doth impugn Him; for we cannot reach heaven with our hands, or immediately assault God by our actions: other ill-practice indeed obliquely or by consequence dishonoureth God, and defameth goodness; but profane discourse is directly levelled at them.

2. To speak loosely and wantonly about holy things, to make such things the matter of sport and mockery, to play and trifle with them.

3. Rash and vain swearing in common discourse; an offence which now strangely reigns and rages in the world, passing about in a specious garb and under glorious titles, as a gentle and graceful quality, a mark of fine breeding, and a point of high gallantry.

4. Finally, consider, that as we ourselves, with all our members and powers, were chiefly designed and framed to serve and glorify our Maker, so especially our tongue and speaking faculty were given us to declare our admiration and reverence of Him, to express our love and gratitude toward Him, to celebrate His praises, to acknowledge His benefits, to promote His honour and service. (I. Barrow, D. D.)

The tongue

There are two thoughts in this passage distinct from each other. The first is that the tongue is an index of the character. If a man offend not in word, he will offend in no way; if he gets the mastery of that unruly member, you may rely on it he is able to control all the rest of his powers. The doctor, when called in to see a patient, asks at once, Let me see your tongue. the mans physical condition is indicated by the state of his tongue, and, if St. James may be believed, the moral condition of every one is to be determined by the state of the tongue. What is the state of your tongue? The other idea of St. James is more extraordinary still, Not only is the tongue an index of character, it shows what a man is; but the apostle goes beyond that in the figure of the bit which guides the horse, and the helm which turns the ship. The tongue determines character; it makes character; it leads and guides and directs a man into good or bad ways. I solemnly believe this to be true. If, when one is angry, he will refrain from uttering a word, he will soon get the mastery of his temper; he is like a horse held in by the bit; but if he allow himself to begin to speak he will become more and more angry, and like an unrestrained horse or ship, will break over all bounds, and do mischief to himself and others. It is a well-known fact that a man may tell a lie until he comes to believe it himself, while a sort of converse of this is true that a Christian may talk so humbly of himself as unworthy that he shall greatly foster his spiritual pride. (T. H.Pritchard, D. D.)

Temper nine-tenths of religion

It was once pleaded on behalf of a man who had been criticised and condemned as unsatisfactory, that he was a good man, all but his temper. All but his temper! was the not unreasonable reply, as if temper were not nine-tenths of religion. (A. Plummer, D. D.)

Unserviceable because rash

The Adige at Verona appears to be a river quite broad and deep enough for navigation, but its current is so rapid as to make it quite unserviceable. Many men are so rash and impetuous, and at the same time so suddenly angry and excited, that their otherwise most valuable abilities are rendered useless for any good purpose. (C. H.Spurgeon.)

Restraint of the tongue

The habit of restraint in speech was admirably illustrated by Lord Palmerston at the cutlers feast in Sheffield, at the time of the great struggle between the North and the South in the United States. Mr. Roebuck had made a violent speech, urging England to side with the South. It was Lord Palmerstons place to reply, and a word from him might kindle the flames of war. He rose, and every eye was fixed on him. What he said, however, was merely, I beg to propose a toast–The Ladies!

Command of the tongue

Learn to hold thy tongue. Five words cost Zacharias forty weeks silence. (R. Fuller.)

Control of the tongue

A babbler, being at table with a number of persons, among whom was one of the seven sages of Greece, expressed his astonishment that a man so wise did not utter a single word. The sage instantly replied, A fool cannot hold his tongue.

Curbing the tongue, a difficult art

Some men remind one of the young man who was sent to Socrates to learn oratory. On being introduced to the philosopher, he talked so incessantly that Socrates asked for double fees. Why charge me double? said the young fellow. Because, replied the orator, I must teach you two sciences; the one how to hold your tongue, and the other how to speak. The first science is the more difficult. (C. H.Spurgeon.)

Government of tongue

He was a wise philosopher who bound his scholars to a silence of five years, that they might not use their tongues till they knew how to govern them, nor speak till they had something to say.

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 2. In many things we offend all.] . We all stumble or trip. Dr. Barrow very properly observes: “As the general course of life is called a way, and particular actions steps, so going on in a regular course of right action is walking uprightly; and acting amiss, tripping or stumbling.” There are very few who walk so closely with God, and inoffensively with men, as never to stumble; and although it is the privilege of every follower of God to be sincere and without offence to the day of Christ, yet few of them are so. Were this unavoidable, it would be useless to make it a subject of regret; but as every man may receive grace from his God to enable him to walk in every respect uprightly, it is to be deplored that so few live up to their privileges. Some have produced these words as a proof that “no man can live without sinning against God; for James himself, a holy apostle speaking of himself, all the apostles, and the whole Church of Christ, says, In many things we offend all.” This is a very bad and dangerous doctrine; and, pushed to its consequences, would greatly affect the credibility of the whole Gospel system. Besides, were the doctrine as true as it is dangerous and false, it is foolish to ground it upon such a text; because St. James, after the common mode of all teachers, includes himself in his addresses to his hearers. And were we to suppose that where he appears by the use of the plural pronoun to include himself, he means to be thus understood, we must then grant that himself was one of those many teachers who were to receive a great condemnation, Jas 3:1; that he was a horse-breaker, because he says, “we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us,” Jas 3:3; that his tongue was a world of iniquity, and set on fire of hell, for he says, “so is the tongue among our members,” Jas 3:6; that he cursed men, “wherewith curse we men, Jas 3:9. No man possessing common sense could imagine that James, or any man of even tolerable morals, could be guilty of those things. But some of those were thus guilty to whom he wrote; and to soften his reproofs, and to cause them to enter the more deeply into their hearts, he appears to include himself in his own censure; and yet not one of his readers would understand him as being a brother delinquent.

Offend not in word, the same is a perfect man] To understand this properly we must refer to the caution St. James gives in the preceding verse: Be not many masters or teachers-do not affect that for which you are not qualified, because in your teaching, not knowing the heavenly doctrine, ye may sin against the anology of faith. But, says he, if any man offend not, , trip not, , in doctrine, teaching the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, the same is , a man fully instructed in Divine things: How often the term , which we render word, is used to express doctrine, and the doctrine of the Gospel, we have seen in many parts of the preceding comment. And how often the word , which we translate perfect, is used to signify an adult Christian, one thoroughly instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, may be seen in various parts of St. Paul’s writings. See among others, 1Co 2:6; 1Co 14:20; Eph 4:13; Php 3:15; Col 4:12; Heb 5:14. The man, therefore, who advanced no false doctrine, and gave no imperfect view of any of the great truths of Christianity; that man proved himself thereby to be thoroughly instructed in Divine things; to be no novice, and consequently, among the many teachers, to be a perfect master, and worthy of the sacred vocation.

Able also to bridle the whole body.] Grotius, by body, believed that the Church of Christ was intended; and this the view we have taken of the preceding clauses renders very probable. But some think the passions and appetites are intended; yet these persons understand not offending in word as referring simply to well guarded speech. Now how a man’s cautiousness in what he says can be a proof that he has every passion and appetite under control, I cannot see. Indeed, I have seen so many examples of a contrary kind, that I can have no doubt of the impropriety of this exposition. But it is objected “that signifies to check, turn, or rule with a bridle; and is never applied to the government of the Church of Christ.” Probably not: but St. James is a very peculiar writer; his phraseology, metaphors, and diction in general, are different from all the rest of the New Testament writers, so as to have scarcely any thing in common with them, but only that he writes in Greek. The sixth verse Jas 3:6 is supposed to be a proof against the opinion of Grotius; but I conceive that verse to belong to a different subject, which commences Jas 3:3.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

For in many things we offend all: there is no man absolutely free from sin, 1Ki 8:46; Job 14:4; Pro 20:9; Ecc 7:20; 1Jo 1:8,10; and therefore we must not be too critical in other mens actions, having so many failings ourselves, Gal 6:1.

If any man offend not in word; know how to govern his tongue aright, speak what, and when; as he ought.

The same is a perfect man; either sincere, in opposition to the hypocrisy of those that pretend so great zeal in correcting others, when they are alike or more guilty themselves: or rather, we may understand it comparatively, and with respect to others, of one that hath made good proficiency in religion, and is of greater attainments than others: see 1Co 2:6.

And able also to bridle the whole body; to govern all the other parts, (eyes, ears, hands, &c.,) as to those actions which are performed by them. No member of the body being more ready to offend than the tongue, he that can rule that, may rule all else.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2. allThe Greekimplies “all without exception”: even the apostles.

offend notliterally”stumbleth not”: is void of offence or “slip” inword: in which respect one is especially tried who sets up to be a”teacher.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For in many things we offend all,…. Or “we all offend”, slip and fall; no man lives without sin; in many, in most, if not in all things, a good man himself does, he sins; and this extends to the most solemn services, and best works of a good man; there is sin in his holy things, imperfections in all his performances; his righteousnesses are as filthy rags; hence no man can be justified by his works before God, nor is any man perfect in this life, so as to be without sin in himself: the apostle includes himself in this account, and that not out of modesty merely, or in a complaisant way, but as matter of fact, and what he found in himself, and observed in the conduct of his life: and now this is given as a reason why persons should not be anxious of teaching others, since in many instances, in common speech and conversation, men are apt to offend, and much more in a work which requires a multitude of words; or why men should be careful how they charge, censure, and reprove others, in a rash, furious, and unchristian manner; since they themselves are in the body, and may be tempted, and are attended with many infirmities, slips, and falls in common life.

If any man offend not in word; from slips and falls in general, the apostle proceeds to the slips of the tongue, and to the use and abuse of that member; and his sense is, that if a man has so much guard upon himself, and such a command over his tongue, and so much wisdom to use it, as to give no offence by it, to his fellow creatures, and fellow Christians:

the same is a perfect man; not that he is perfect in himself, and without sin, that is denied before; unless this is considered as a mere hypothesis, and by way of concession; that could there be found out a man that never, for instance, offends in word in anyone part of life, that man may be allowed, and be set down to be a perfect man; but no such man is to be found, and therefore none perfect: but rather the sense is, that he who in common is so careful of his speech, as not to offend his brethren, may be looked upon as a sincere and truly religious man; See Jas 1:26 or he may be accounted a wise and prudent man, such an one as in Jas 3:13 he is not a babe in understanding, a child in conduct, but a grown man; at full age; a perfect man; in which sense the word is used in 1Co 2:6.

And able also to bridle the whole body; either to govern the whole body, the church, to teach a society of Christians, and to feed them with knowledge, and with understanding; or rather, as he appears to be able to bridle that member of the body, the tongue, so likewise to be able, through the grace of God, to keep under the whole body, that sin shall not reign in it, or the lusts of it be in common obeyed.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

In many things (). Accusative neuter plural either cognate with or accusative of general reference. On (stumble) see on 2:10. James includes himself in this list of stumblers.

If not (–). Condition of first class with (not ) negativing the verb .

In word ( ). In speech. The teacher uses his tongue constantly and so is in particular peril on this score.

The same (). “This one” (not the same).

A perfect man ( ). “A perfect husband” also, for is husband as well as man in distinction from woman (). The wife is at liberty to test her husband by this rule of the tongue.

To bridle the whole body also ( ). See 1:26 for this rare verb applied to the tongue (). Here the same metaphor is used and shown to apply to the whole body as horses are led by the mouth. The man follows his own mouth whether he controls the bridle therein (1:26) or someone else holds the reins. James apparently means that the man who bridles his tongue does not stumble in speech and is able also to control his whole body with all its passions. See Tit 1:11 about stopping people’s mouths ().

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Offend [] . Lit., stumble, as Rev. Compare ch. 2 10.

To bridle. See on ch. Jas 1:26.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) James concedes that we all (Gr. ptaiomen) offend or stumble in many things. He then hypothecates that a person who never stumbles, makes a mistake, or falls is able, or must be able or fitted to chain, bridle, or subdue every passion of his whole body.

2) Perhaps none has reached such a state of perfection or maturity, but it is the Divine goal, Mat 5:48.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

2 For in many things we offend all. This may be taken as having been said by way of concession, as though he had said, “Be it that thou findest what is blamable in thy brethren, for no one is free from sins; but dost thou think that thou art perfect who usest a slanderous and virulent tongue?” But James seems to me to exhort us by this argument to meekness, since we are ourselves also surrounded with many infirmities; for he acts unjustly who denies to others the pardon he needs himself. So also Paul says, when he bids the fallen to be reproved kindly, and in the spirit of meekness; for he immediately adds,

“

considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal 6:1.)

For there is nothing which serves more to moderate extreme rigor than the knowledge of our own infirmity.

If any man offend not in word. After having said that there is no one who does not sin in many things, he now shews that the disease of evil-speaking is more odious than other sins; for by saying that he who offends not with his tongue is perfect, he intimates that the restraining of the tongue is a great virtue, and one of the chief virtues. Hence they act most perversely who curiously examine every fault, even the least, and yet so grossly indulge themselves.

He then indirectly touches here on the hypocrisy of censors, because in examining themselves they omitted the chief thing, and that was of great moment even their evil-speaking; for they who reproved others pretended a zeal for perfect holiness, but they ought to have begun with the tongue, if they wished to be perfect. As they made no account of bridling the tongue, but, on the contrary, did bite and tear others, they exhibited only a fictitious sanctity. It is hence evident that they were the most reprehensible of all, because they neglected a primary virtue. This connection renders the meaning of the Apostle plain to us.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(2) For in many things we offend all.Better thus, For in many things we all offend: not, what might be inferred, we are an offence to all, as Mat. 24:9; 1Co. 4:13, et al. Humble, indeed, was the holy mind of James, but this confession of error uplifts him in all right appreciation, and in no way casts him down. The very human weakness of Peter, and Paul, and James, endears them to us; for so we know assuredly that they were men of like passions with ourselves (Act. 14:15), and, where they succeeded, we, by the like grace of God, may also win the crown.

If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man.If any man: much more one who fain would teach his fellows. To offend means to stumble over something, and fall, and in this sense we get the exact meaning of offending by an unguarded allusion to a subject painful in the mind of another. A constant governance of our speech, according to duty and reason, is a high instance, and a special argument of a thoroughly sincere and solid goodness, says Isaac Barrow; but the meekest of men failed once, and blessed indeed is he who takes heed to his ways that he sins not with his tongue (Psa. 39:1).

Able also to bridle the whole body.Not that if the tongue be stilled all the members of the body are consequently in peace; but, because the work of ruling the one rebel is so great, that a much less corresponding effort will keep the others in subjection.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2. For In explanation of the greater condemnation.

We offend Literally, we stumble. The Greek word is cognate with the Greek word to fall, and they are finely distinguished by St. Paul, Rom 11:11, where he says that Israel has not stumbled that they should fall. (A Greek proverb, “not to stumble twice at the same stone.”)

All The mere English reader is very apt to understand our translation to mean, we offend every body; making all the object. The true meaning is, that in many things we all stumble; that is, make intellectual and moral mistakes and blunders; which is true enough of the wisest and holiest of us. And, therefore, our apostle cautions us to avoid setting up for too much.

Offend not Stumble not.

In word In performance of his assumption to be a teacher in the synagogue.

Perfect man He has become in mind and spirit what he doubtless has in body a completely grown, filled out, and proportioned man.

Able also For, so far as he is able to speak perfectly right, it is probable that he can do perfectly right. The wisdom and moral power with which he can govern his tongue is very likely to govern his whole body. The body, as the whole organ of the soul, with its susceptibilities to temptation, and its limbs as the instruments of right or wrong, as the I, the will, directs.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘If any stumbles not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.’

Taking up the thought of stumbling he now points out that if any Teacher never stumbles in what he says, or how he says it, then he is indeed a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body, exercising total self control. He is a kind of paragon. This may be intended to be ironic, really indicating that ‘none of us Teachers are perfect, so that we all need to be very much aware of our weaknesses’. Or he may be indicating that such ‘perfect’ and mature teachers, who are mature in the faith, are rare, and it is they who should be sought for and appointed, for they will have control of both their tongues and their lives.

He then points out that the unwise or unruly tongue can affect the whole body, and/or is a manifestation of how that body will behave. Mouth and behaviour tend to go in tandem. What we say, unless we are being hypocrites, is what we do. The thought may either be that what a man says affects his behaviour, or alternately that what he says reveals what his behaviour will be like.

Being able to bridle the whole body may thus be saying:

1) That the Teacher who is true to the word ensures that his body does not interfere with his message. And he can do this because he is able to control it with an iron grip and never let it get out of hand. Thus he never preaches ‘in the flesh’, but always ‘in the Spirit’. He never panders to people’s tastes because ‘his body’ (he himself) wants popularity or praise. And he never lets exhaustion make him say something that is unwise, nor allows his passions to control his preaching. He can control his tongue because he can control himself.

2) That this Teacher always practises what he preaches. Control of his tongue results in control of the whole body. And because he has full control of his body and its emotions and desires, he will not, after preaching, be drawn into acting contrary to how he has preached, for his life is well controlled by the reins of God.

3) That this teacher never lets his tongue run away with him, or becomes unnecessarily angry or sarcastic or hurtful when he is preaching (compareJas 1:19) because he has a tight control on himself.

4). That the tongue is such a clear manifestation of how the person will behave as a whole, that the ability to control the tongue indicates that such a person will be able to control their whole body.

The fact is that men’s tongues reveal their sinfulness and that is why none can teach without stumbling, for all men are sinful. As the Scriptures remind us, “None is righteous, no not one — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10; Rom 3:23). “If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jn 1:8). “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins,” (Ecc 7:20).

One way or another then James is declaring that the way a man speaks and the way that he behaves go hand in hand, and that one who would teach must first ensure that he has control of himself, with of course the help of God. Otherwise being a teacher will bring him into grater condemnation.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jam 3:2. For in many things we offend all, &c. “The many infirmities, to which the best of us are subject, may indeed teach us to think with awe of that exact trial which we are to undergo on the great day, and induce us to fly to the only refuge of sinners, the Blood of the covenant; for in many things we offend all; we are too ready to trip and stumble in our walk. But if any one is enabled to keep a bridle upon his tongue, that it utter no opprobrious, false, or other sinful words, from any corrupt or excessive passion; he is, in avery eminent sense, a finished Christian; is a man of rich attainmentsinknowledgeandexperience,integrityandholiness;andisfurnishedwith such divine assistances, as aresufficient to prevent all irregularities of conduct, and to spread a most amiable influence through all the members of his body; and the whole behaviour of his life, to the advantage of every religious and civil body to which he is related.”

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jas 3:2 . The reason ( ) of the preceding; yet not so much of the warning: (Schneckenburger), this is conditioned by . . ., as rather of the thought ; namely, so that the first clause refers only to , and only that which follows to the idea ; whilst in the expression . . . the idea is contained, that as conditions , sinful man is thus not in a position to bridle the tongue. Brckner incorrectly considers the clause . . . as the explanatory reason of the directly preceding sentence: “we all offend frequently, for whosoever offends not in word he only preserves himself from .”

The words ] are to be taken in their widest sense (Wiesinger, Brckner); by (a stronger form than ) neither the simply are meant, nor is it = plerique (Grotius), and points not expressly to errores, qui docentibus obvenire possint (Grotius), or to “speech which is used in teaching” (de Wette), but it comprehends all and every moral error of whatever kind it may be. [169]

] is adverbial, as in Mat 9:14 .

To this first thought that which follows is annexed .

] see chap. Jas 1:5 ; Jas 1:23 ; Jas 1:26 = .

] is not to be limited to teaching proper (Pott = ), but is equivalent to , chap. Jas 1:19 ; denotes the sphere within which the occurs; otherwise in chap. Jas 2:10 . On after , see on chap. Jas 2:11 .

To , is to be supplied; is emphatic; what follows . . . is in apposition to . ; the word is used here as in chap. Jas 1:8 .

The meaning is: Whosoever offends (sins) not in speech, and thus is able to bridle his tongue , proves himself thereby to be a perfect man who is able to rule also the whole body , that is, all the other members, so that it is subject to his will. James here places the body in opposition to the man “as a relative independent power which offers moral resistance to the will of the Ego” (Wiesinger), which it is his task to bridle. The , indeed, is the fountain of evil deeds (Mat 15:19 ), but the lust which is rooted therein has so thoroughly appropriated the members of man, and as it were fixed its dwelling in them (Rom 7:23 ), that they appear as lusting subjects, and may be represented as such in lively concrete language. By such explanations as , equivalent to “the whole connection of the actions and changes of man” (Baumgarten), or = reliquae peccandi illecebrae (Pott), or = tota vita (Schneckenburger), the idea lying at the foundation does not receive its full meaning. Even the remark of de Wette, that denotes “not only all organs proper, but even the affections,” is not to be retained; on which account Brckner adds: “the latter only in so far as they are expressed by the former.” The explanation of Lange is also arbitrary, that the body here denotes the organ and symbol of all other modes of human action, with the exception of speech. Laurentius rightly observes: nihil obstat, quo minus per totum corpus intelligamus caetera corporis nostri membra: manus, pedes, etc.

[169] Brckner correctly asserts, against de Wette, that the subject in has experienced an extension, and that the circumstance that in what follows is particularly brought forward, requires for here a more universal meaning.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

DISCOURSE: 2366
THE BEST OF MEN BUT WEAK AND FRAIL

Jam 3:2. In many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

THAT persons instructed in divine truth should be anxious to instruct others is well: but to rush uncalled into the ostensible office of the ministry, is by no means expedient. By his life, as well as by his doctrine, must a minister instruct his people: and if, on the one hand, his reward will be glorious if he discharge his duties aright; his punishment will, on the other hand, be proportionably severe, if by word or deed he cast a stumbling-block before others, and cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. Before a man therefore engage in this arduous calling, he should see his way clear: lest, by entering rashly upon it, he involve himself in the heavier condemnation. This is the hint given by St. James, in the verse before my text: and, to enforce it, he reminds us of our extreme frailty; since in many things we all offend, and have therefore abundant reason for caution in contracting, without necessity, such an augmented responsibility.
Let me, then, shew you,

I.

What even good men have to mourn over, in their daily walk before God

There is no man that liveth, and sinneth not. By reason of our extreme weakness, and the numberless obstacles which lie in our way, there is not any man who does not occasionally make a trip, and offend,

1.

By a slip of his feet

[No good man will, knowingly and deliberately, do that which is evil. A man truly born of God cannot so commit bin. He has a principle within him which will not suffer it. But, sometimes through ignorance and inadvertence, and sometimes through weakness and corruption, the very best of men may err: as it is said, The righteous falleth seven times. When James and John proposed to call fire from heaven, to consume a Samaritan village, it was doubtless from a mistaken idea, that the example of Elijah, who so vindicated the honour of Jehovah, was applicable to the occasion which then presented itself to them; and that such was a proper way of expressing their indignation against those who had refused to their Master the rights of hospitality. It was also from a mistaken love to his Divine Master that Peter dissuaded Jesus from subjecting himself to the sufferings which he had just predicted. But the principle, in both these instances, was really evil, though the Apostles themselves thought it to be good: and therefore they brought on themselves a just rebuke. In Peters requiring the Gentiles to submit to the Jewish law there was downright dissimulation; such as betrayed Bar nabas also into the very same fault. Here was weakness here was the sad effect of human corruption: and, accordingly it was reproved with a severity proportioned to the offence In Paul and Barnabas too, there was a blameworthy contention, issuing in their final separation. The error of Peter and Barnabas proceeded from an undue compliance; and that of Paul and Barnabas from an undue pertinacity, both in sentiment and determination. But, as such things have been in the Church, even amongst the Apostles themselves; so must they be expected to arise, whilst human nature is so weak, and so many difficulties beset our way ]

2.

By a slip of his tongue

[If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. The fact is, that every corruption of the heart finds its first and readiest gratification through the tongue. If pride or vanity inflate the mind, it will discover itself, not only in the look and gesture, but through some appropriate language of the lips. If levity have put a man off his guard, it will betray itself by some unadvised expressions, some jestings (facetious terms of double import), which may excite a smile at the moment, but are quite offensive to God. Need I say how anger will vent itself, or how uncharitableness will indulge its malignant propensities? But so it is with every unhallowed feeling of the soul: and he is the most perfect man who puts the most complete restraint upon his tongue, and suffers it not to utter any thing which God will not approve.]
Whilst good men have so much occasion to mourn, let us consider,

II.

What they have more especially to attend to, in order to counteract the evil of their hearts

Amongst the many things which might be mentioned, I will recommend,

1.

Humiliation

[Who has not found, by sad experience, the truth of the Apostles assertion, that in many things we all offend? Who then has not reason to lie low both before God and man? If Paul complained of the law in his members warring against the law of his mind, much more may we; and with him cry out, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me? Methinks, if Job abhorred himself, and the Prophet Isaiah complained, Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, a leper in the midst of a leprous population; no humiliation can be too deep for us. Let us walk softly then, every one of us, in the remembrance of our manifold infirmities; and abase ourselves before God, as less than the least of all saints, yea, as the very chief of sinners.]

2.

Watchfulness

[Never can we tell what an hour may bring forth; or what temptations may arise, to cause us to offend either in word or deed. We should therefore make a covenant with our eyes, as holy Job did; and set a watch before the door of our lips, as did the man after Gods own heart. We should mark the first risings of inclination, that they may not operate with undue force, and betray us into actual sin. We should mark with jealous care the motives and principles by which we are actuated; remembering, that by them will the quality of our actions be determined, and that by them we shall be judged in the last day. In a word, we must keep our hearts with all diligence, knowing that out of them are the issues of life.]

3.

Dependence upon God

[Here is our only security. If we trust in our own hearts, our folly will very soon appear. Satan can assume the form of an angel of light, and deceive us by specious appearances: and, if we would be preserved from his wiles, our prayer should continually be to God; Hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not: Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe. Then, notwithstanding our weakness and frailty, we may hope to be preserved blameless till the day of Christ.
Now unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, for ever and ever! Amen.

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Ver. 2. For in many things, &c. ] This is triste mortalitatis privilegium, the sad privilege of mankind, as one phraseth it, to have leave to offend sometimes. Every pomegranate hath at least one rotten grain within it, saith Crates. And it is the honour of God alone to be perfect, saith Plato (Euphormio). Jerome pronounceth a curse upon him that shall say that the fulfilling of the whole law is impossible to any. But patres legendi cum venia; Jerome was out in this, and too to blame, . St James, a far better man than Jerome (for he was worthily called James the Just), affirmeth here of himself and other sanctified persons, We offend or stumble all, , impingimus omnes.

A perfect man ] That is, a prudent man, Psa 37:30-31 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2 .] For (see above: this supplies the ellipsis) oftentimes (adverbial: see reff. and Winer, 54. 1) we all (without exception: is a stronger form than , being originally contracted from ) offend ( , cognate with , , , see Buttmann, Lexil. i. p. 295, to stumble, fall: cf. the proverb, : hence figuratively, to err or offend morally. The present assertion is to be taken in the widest moral sense, as an axiom applying to our whole conduct. It is in the next clause limited to the subject in hand, viz. the tongue): if any man (see ch. Jas 1:5 ; Jas 1:23 ; Jam 1:26 ) offendeth not (is void of offence: , because the negative belongs, not subjectively to the hypothesis, but objectively to the fact included within the hypothesis) in word (in speaking: and therefore the hypothesis is applicable to these many who set up for teachers, seeing that thus their chances of offence would be multiplied many fold), he ( is ) a perfect man (explained by what follows), able to bridle the whole body also (I cannot see the force of De Wette’s objections against the general sense of the . The sense surely runs well thus: We all oftentimes offend: and of those frequent offences, sins of the tongue are so weighty a part and so constant a cause, that he who is free from them may be said to be perfect, inasmuch as he is able to rule every other minor cause of offence: ‘the whole body’ standing for all those other members by which, as by the tongue, sin may be committed: which may be or , Rom 6:13 ).

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Jas 3:2 . : see note above on this word Jas 2:10 . : Cf. Sir 19:16 , ; : see note on Jas 1:4 . : see note on Jas 1:12 . : see note on Jas 1:26 . : it is quite possible that these words are meant literally; the exaggerated gesticulation of an Oriental in the excitement of debate is proverbial; that the reference here is to even more than this is also quite within the bounds of possibility, cf. Joh 18:22 ; Act 23:2-3 .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

offend all = all stumble. See Jam 2:10.

If. App-118.

any man = any one. App-123.

in. App-104.

word. App-121.

perfect. App-125.

man. App-123.

also. Should come after “body”.

bridle. See Jam 1:26.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

2.] For (see above: this supplies the ellipsis) oftentimes (adverbial: see reff. and Winer, 54. 1) we all (without exception: is a stronger form than , being originally contracted from ) offend (, cognate with , , , see Buttmann, Lexil. i. p. 295, to stumble, fall: cf. the proverb, : hence figuratively, to err or offend morally. The present assertion is to be taken in the widest moral sense, as an axiom applying to our whole conduct. It is in the next clause limited to the subject in hand, viz. the tongue): if any man (see ch. Jam 1:5; Jam 1:23; Jam 1:26) offendeth not (is void of offence: , because the negative belongs, not subjectively to the hypothesis, but objectively to the fact included within the hypothesis) in word (in speaking: and therefore the hypothesis is applicable to these many who set up for teachers, seeing that thus their chances of offence would be multiplied many fold), he (is) a perfect man (explained by what follows), able to bridle the whole body also (I cannot see the force of De Wettes objections against the general sense of the . The sense surely runs well thus: We all oftentimes offend: and of those frequent offences, sins of the tongue are so weighty a part and so constant a cause, that he who is free from them may be said to be perfect, inasmuch as he is able to rule every other minor cause of offence: the whole body standing for all those other members by which, as by the tongue, sin may be committed: which may be or , Rom 6:13).

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Jam 3:2. ) in many and various circumstances and ways.-, all) The apostles do not even except themselves; 1Jn 1:8.- , in word) viz. in a single word. Opposed to many things. The tongue does not always answer to the feeling.-, offend) This word is properly used of any fault or slip of the tongue.-) he indeed.–, able to bridle the whole body) The description of a perfect man.- , the body) that is, the man himself. Antithetical to the tongue, which is a member; Jam 3:5. Comp. body, Jam 3:3; Jam 3:6.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Jas 3:2-8

CONTROL OF THE TONGUE

Jas 3:2-8

2 For in many things we all stwnble.— ”In many things,” (from polla, an adverbial accusative), means “with reference to many things.” For the significance of the word “stumble,” see Jas 2:10, and comments thereon. It will be observed that the writer affirms two things here, and includes himself among those who thus stumble: ( 1) “We all stumble” ; ( 2) “we all stumble in many things.” “To stumble,” is to trip, to fall; and here refers to the mistakes all of us make, particularly where the use of the tongue is involved. The fact that James includes him:;clf among those who trip in this manner is no reflection on the inspiration which guarded his writings from all error. We must ever remember to distinguish between what the inspired penmen wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and their own personal and individual activity as Christians. They had no more protection against the possibility of sinning as Christians, than do we otherwise, in their case at least, the doctrine of the impossibility of apostasy would he true. The people of Israel “angered” Moses at “the waters of Mereibah,” and “it went ill with Moses for their sakes; because they were rebellious against his spirit. and he spake unadvisedly with his lips.” (Psa 106:42-43.) Paul resisted Peter “to the face” in Antioch, when he and Barnabas “walked not uprightly according to the truth of the g-ospe1. (Gal 2:11-21.)

Because all stumble in this respect, all need provision for their sins; and this the Lord has marvelously provided. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth (literally. keeps on cleansing) us from all sin. . . . If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ( 1Jn 1:7-9.) The tense of the verb ptaiomen (stumble) denotes continuous action, but (thank God!) the tense of the verb cleanseth signifies the same; and when, in our weakness, we keep on stumbling, the blood of Jesus keeps on cleansing! We must not, of course. suppose that the stumbling here is deliberate; no such provision exists for those who set out on a calculated course of sin. Represented is a difficult road beset by many dangers and containing many pitfalls. The faithful disciple, forced to follow it through life, often trips over unseen obstacles therein, and stumps his toe on the stones of sin which are frequently in his path. He is headed for heaven however; and, obviously, does not deliberately trip and fall in the way. His is not a voluntary stumbling. but that which is occasioned by the difficulties of the path he follows, and the disposition of the devil to place in his way as many obstacles as possible.

If any stumbleth not in word,—Here James returns to his special theme-the proper use of the tongue which is to be particularly dealt with in this chapter, and teaches us that it is possible to “trip” with the tongue in word, as well as in life anti in action. “In word,” means in what we say. The word “stumbleth” signifies the same as it does in the first clause of the verse, and in Jas 2:10. “Any” here means any person-old, young, rich, poor, wise, unwise, all-thus evidencing the fact that here is a matter to which every disciple must give constant attention. Though verse 1 is devoted exclusively to “teachers,” the writer broadens the application, and admonishes all in the church to be wary of temptations involving the tongue. Teachers especially need the instruction given, inasmuch as speaking is an indispensable and major part of their activity; but the lesson is not limited to them, and the application is thus expanded to embrace all.

the same is a perfect man,—That is, the one who stumbles not in word “is a perfect man,” (teleios aner), one who has reached full maturity in spiritual growth. This term does not denote sinlessness, so much as full development, mature growth. The meaning is, “If any man does not keep on stumbling in word, he has reached that status in life where he is fully mature.” The word translated “perfect” might properly be rendered goal. One who has attained to such complete mastery over his tongue has truly reached the goal in spiritual achievement. This doe:s not mean that he is above the possibility of sinning; it means that he has acquired such mastery over his tongue that he is able to control it. He is like David in “Fulfilling all of God’s will and having respect for his commandment” (Psa 119:6), and like Zacharias and Elizabeth in walking “in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luk 1:6). Such also is affirmed of Noah, Abraham and Job. (Gen 6:9; Job 1:1) See, also, Php 3:12-13.

able to bridle the whole body also.—So disposed is man to use his tongue improperly, and to say things which he ought not, that he who is able to restrain himself in word, would evidence such remarkable self-control that it might properly be assumed that he is able “to bridle” (keep under rein) his entire body. To exercise restraint over it is to demonstrate the ability to keep under control all the other members of the body, inasmuch at it requires greater effort to keep the tongue under control than any other member of the body. We must not from this assume that it is more important to do this than to exercise restraint in any other area; or, that in this field alone mastery means perfection, but that it is a test which determines whether control over the body is being exercised. The phrase, “the whole body,” is used here to designate the sum of all the sins of which man is capable; that is, if one can control his tongue, he will have attained to such mastery over himself that other temptations will be easily repelled. The figure of the “bridle” is an impressive one, and suggestive of the same meaning as in Jas 1:26. Inasmuch as one who has control of the bridle controls the horse, so one who controls his tongue may be expected to keep in check the rest of the body.

3 Now if we put the horses’ bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.—This illustrates that which James has just affirmed: to control the tongue is, in effect, to exercise restraint over the whole body. A horse, though large, is controlled by a comparatively tiny bridle; this, indeed, is the reason why the bridle is used: in order that the entire body may be easily turned and controlled.

4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth.—In James’ first exemplification, the illustration of bridled horses is used; here, the figure is that of great ships which are steered by a small rudder, in harmony with the will of “the steersman.” With both of these figures the writer’s readers would be perfectly familiar, and would readily grasp the lesson intended. In the first, a spirited animal is used; in the second, an inanimate object, but one nevertheless subject to the influences of the winds and the seas. Notwithstanding the will of the first, the horse, and the brute forces-the winds and the seas-operating upon the second, both are easily controlled, and that by a small object; in the first instance, a bridle; in the second, a rudder; according to the will of man in both. The meaning of both illustrations is: We are able to control large animals and huge ships with very small objects; how much more ought we to be able to govern ourselves! For, if we are able to exercise similar rule over our tongues, we govern our whole being.

5 So the tongue also is a small member,—This is the application of the illustrations of the bridle and the rudder. Though small, each is exceedingly effective, thus demonstrating the fact that a thing may be little yet powerful and influential. The tongue is a smali object compared to the whole body, just as a bridle is small in comparison to the horse and the rudder to the ship; but, as the bridle and the rudder are capable of exercising great influence upon that which they influence, so the tongue, notwithstanding its insignificance in size, possesses great potential. The contrast drawn here is between the tiny character of the tongue and the hugeness of the body and the effect which the tongue exercises, despite this great disparity in size.

and boasteth great things—(megalaauchei, present active indicative), it continually boasts; i.e., it is a characteristic of this little member of the body to talk big, to be arrogant and boastful in its action. While there is a very proper sense in which the highest possible honor is due the tongue-because of the ennobling sentiments it is capable of expressing-it is most likely that here it was the design of the writer to carry through the point which the illustrations emphasize: the disparity in the size of the tongue and the possibilities of which it is capable. Its power and influence are exceedingly great. It is capable of the greatest good, and of the most far-reaching harm. The extent of its influence is indicated in the statement following.

Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!—Here is a third illustration used by James to denote the potency and power of the tongue. The construction of this sentence is unusual and informative. The same relative form occurs for the two indirect questions: “What sized fire kindles what sized wood.” The writer’s chief point continues to be impressed: The vast difference in size between the cause and the effect; but, there is an adilitional characteristic injected here. In the illustration of the horse and bridle, and the ship and rudder, there is controlled effect; here, the effect of the little fire and the resulting tremendous destruction are uncontrolled.

A huge factory, a mighty forest, a whole city may go up in flames from the effects of one tiny match. There is a legend that the great Chicago fire started when a cow, being milked, kicked over a lantern, and when the flames had wrought their great and terrible destruction, and had finally burned out, hundreds of blocks of homes and vast areas of the city were no more. “How much wood is kindled by how small a fire!” In similar fashion, one improper statement by the tongue, small though that member of the body is, may start a furious flame that will consume and destroy individuals, families, and whole congregations. A deceitful tongue is often condemned in Scripture: “Deliver my soul, 0 Jehovah, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” (Psa 120:2.) “As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am I not in sport? For lack of wood the fire goeth out; and where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth. As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to inflame strife. The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts. Fervent lips and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips ; but he layeth up deceit within him : when he speaketh fair believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart.” (Pro 26:18-25.)

Backbiting with the tongue is one of the most common of sins. (Psa 15:4.) The word “backbite,” is an Anglo-Saxon term, with three inherent ideas: (1) Knavery, (2) cowardice; (3) brutality. (1) A backbiter is a knave, a low-born person. People of good breeding do not find pleasure in, and therefore, do not indulge the temptation to engage in malicious gossip. (2) A backbiter is a coward, always saying that behind one’s back, and in one’s absence, what would never be said to one’s face. (3) A backbiter is a brutish person, being wholly insensible of the feelings of others. “He that backbiteth not with his tongue,” is, in the Hebrew text, “He foots not upon his tongue”; i.e., he does not kick about, as a football, the character of an absent person. It is virtually impossible to counteract the effects of slander and malicious gossip; and those guilty inflict injury the effects of which extend through time into eternity. And, if people are to be judged on the basis of the effects of their activities this undoubtedly will be one of the most grievous sins for which to answer at the judgment.

6 And the tongue is a fire:—Having shown the devastating effects of fire, when raging out of control, James tells us that this is what the tongue is, in the improper consequences of its use. The figure is not an unusual one in the Scriptures. “A worthless man deviseth mischief; and in his lips there is a scorching fire.” (Pro 16:27.) See, also Pro 26:18-22. This statement, “and the tongue is a fire,” identifies the tongue, in its effects, with the fire which begins as a tiny flame, but immediately becomes a great conflagration, as indicated in the verse preceding. The tongue is like a fire in this respect. It is a “fire,” (a) in the pain it inflicts; (b) in the destruction which attends it; (c) in the effects which follow it.

the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue,—We must, of course, remember that it is the improper use of the tongue which is contemplated here. Among all the members of the body the tongue is, when improperly exercised, the most wicked of all. The phrase, “world of iniquity,” is an expression, the design of which is to indicate the sum of evil ; and the tongue, because of its great powers, becomes such is its evil activity. It is “a world of iniquity” among the members of the body, because of the incalculable harm which it produces; it is utterly impossible to measure, in this life, the harm which grows out of the slander, the profanity, the falsehood, the blasphemy and the scandal of which it is capable. History is replete with instances of wars, strifes, alienations resulting from its evil work. Were all men suddenly to lose the faculty of speech, the niimber of sins of which men are continually guilty would be sharply reduced! In view of this fact, how important it is that we speak only what we ought to, and that what we say be soberly considered.

which defileth the whole body,—“Defileth,” is from spilo, to spot, to stain. The meaning is that the improper use of the tongue besmirches, stains, renders defiled, the entire body. A slanderer eventually exhibits the effects of his sin in his O’!n personality. His outlook on life becomes polluted, his confidence in his fellows vanishes, and his spiritual life dwarfs and dies. A mechanic may be capable of doing excellent work; but, if we catch him lying to us, we immediately regard his work as untrustworthy. It is an ancient and true adage that one is no better than his word.

and setteth on fire the wheel of nature,—This clause is not easy of interpretation because of the obscurity of the phrase, “the wheel of nature,” (ton trochon geneseos, the wheel of birth.) The marginal reading is “birth.” Birth is that which ushers us into life; and, “the wheel of birth,” may well signify our entire existence, beginning with birth and ending with death. A “wheel” is that which is round, hence, “the round of existence,” that is, the whole period of our lives. All of it is set on fire by the improper use of the tongue, “Setteth on fire,” is from phlogizousa, present active participle of phlogizo, to ignite, from phlox, a flame. We shall have no difficulty in understanding the passage if we keep in mind that it was the design of James to show the far-reaching effects of the abuse of the tongue, and thus the need of constant restraint thereof. So potent is it in its effects that it can, and often does, influence man’s entire round (period) of existence. An inflamed speech, intolerant words, a false rumor may set on fire an individual, a city and even a nation. We recall only too well the rabble-rousing speeches of Hitler, and the overwhelming wave of the war spirit which swept over the German nation as a result. Banks have been broken, financial institutions driven to bankruptcy by thoughtless words spoken over a back fence.

and is set on fire by hell.—(Kai phlogizomene hupo tes gehennes, present passive participle of phlogizo, is continually set on fire by hell.) The fire which results from the tongue is comparable only to that which arises in hell (Greek, Gehenna.) This term-Gehenna-originally was the name of the valley just outside, and to the southeast of the city of Jerusalem, where the children of Israel practiced the idolatrous rites of Moloch, which they borrowed from their heathen neighbors. There, the children of Israel sacrificed their own offspring to the fire god Moloch. When Josiah instituted reforms, he destroyed the altars, broke down the high places, and that the valley might be wholly unsuited for such practices, caused it to be turned into the garbage dump of Jerusalem. The garbage of the city was carted out there and in sufficient quantity that it had to be burned, and thus fires were continually burning. Occasionally bodies were thrown there and burned. Thus, the place served as a fitting symbol of the place of future punishment, and the Lord so applied it hundreds of years later when he came to the earth. ( 1Ki 11:7 ; 2Ki 23:13-14 ; Mat 5:22; Mat 5:29-30; Mat 10:28; Mat 18:9; Mat 23:15; Mat 23:33; Mar 9:43; Mar 9:45; Mar 9:47; Luk 12:5.) It is important to distinguish between Hades, the realm of departed spirits between death and the resurrection, and Gehenna, the eternal abode of the finally disobedient. Sheol, occurring often in the Old Testament, is the equivalent oi Hades in the New Testament. Hades is the intermediate state of the dead, between death and the resurrection, and contains the good and the bad who are, nevertheless, separated there, the good in a place of blessing, the wicked in torment. (Luk 16:23.)

It is of interest to observe the care which James used in presenting these symbols. An evil tongue defiles the entire body. A defiled body is fit only to be thrown on the refuse dump (as was often done in early centuries), and there burned. It is truly a sobering thought that the fire which (figuratively) issues from our tongues when improperly used originates in hell, and will lead us there if we do not learn to extinguish it. Hell is truly the garbage dump of the world and such is the destiny of all who die in disobedience. It has been truly said that one should never throw mud because one may miss the mark thrown at, but will always wind up with dirty hands!

7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed,—“Kind,” is from phusis, literally nature. All of brute nature has been brought under the dominion of man: “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply. and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Gen 1:27-28.) God said to Noah, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens: with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea. into your hand are they delivered.” (Gen 9:1-2.) This dominion thus granted to man had to be exercised and retained. James does not say that every wild thing has been tamed; affirmed is the fact that every kind of creature has been brought under subjection to man. The most ferocious of beasts, the fishes of the deep, blue sea, the birds which soar high in the skies, and even the slimy serpents, have yielded to the superiority of man, and have been made subordinate to him.

The “beasts.” designated here are quadrupeds, four legged animals (thcrion) “Birds,” (petomai, to fly), designate creatures which are able to fly; “creeping things,” (herpeton, to crawl), serpents which slither along the ground, and “things of the sea,” of course, the fishes. It will be seen that the four classes of created things are much the same as those designated in Gen 9:2. There are two pairs of four groups: (I) beasts and birds; (2) creeping things and things in the sea.

“Is tamed,” (damazetai, present passive indicative) is, litrally, “is continually being tamed.” The dominion which Adam was to exercise over all the animals was not to be limited to him, or to his day; it was to be exercised by mankind through all succeeding ages.

and hath been tamed by mankind:—( Dedamastai, perfect passive indicative, of the verb translated “tamed” in the clause preceding, thus indicating a past fact general in character.) “By mankind,” is tei phusei tei antltropinri, instrumental case, “by the nature of the human.” That is, every kind of brute nature has been subjected to, and subdued by the human nature. It was James’ design to emphasize the fact that the taming process has been exercised in this fashion from the beginning of creation. Though able to subdue the brute creation, man does not alwa:ys control himself! Because of the fall, and the consequent moral weakness thus experienced, he has ceased to be in control of his own members, and particularly, his tongue. It is a sad commentary on man, and an embarrassing exhibition of his moral and spiritual degradation that though able to tame the wildest animals, he cannot tame his own tongue!

8 but the tongue can no man tame;—Here, the tense of the verb is momentary, and not continuous action. It is impossible ior man to accomplish the taming of his own tongue. Though exceedingly powerful in his exercise of dominion over the brute creation, he is helpless when it comes to his own little tongue. Why cannot he accomplish this? The answer is that it is a huma11 tongue, and not merely or solely an animal’s tongue. Human nature can easily subdue the animal nature, but it is powerless of itself to subdue the Satanic nature which has moved in because of a life of sin. when James said, “The tongue can no man tame,” he did not mean (a) that man, being unable to control his tongue, is therefore excused for any abuses which may result from its improper use; nor (b) that God assigns an impossible task, yet demands that it be done. The meaning is that birds and beasts, however wild and fierce they may be in their native habitat, when tamed, are no longer dangerous. One does not keep a tamed beast chained! The tongue, however, can never be tamed. It may be successfully restrained for forty years, but in an unguarded moment leap out a dangerous and hurtful thing. This statement of James was intended to teach us that we must ever exercise ceaseless vigilance in all matters pertaining to the tongue. How conscious all of us ought always to be of this painful fact. How often do we thoughtlessly give utterance to sentiments the moment said we would give the world to recall. It is impossible to bring back the spoken word.

The Moving Finger writes ; and, having writ

Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

It is a revealing and profitable exercise in Bible study, to gather up, by means of a concordance, or similar word book, all of the passages of the Bible dealing with the abuses of the tongue, and the evils which may result therefrom. The terms used to describe these sins make a lengthy and exceedingly ugly catalog. The word, “devil,” is translated from the Greek diabolos, means a calumniator, slanderer, accuser, false witness. He is also called a liar, and “the father of lies.” Among the sins possible to be committed with the tongue are blasphemy (to speak evil of God and of sacred matters), sacrilege (an offense against God), perjury (false witness in the limited, legal sense), slander, flattery, backbiting, whispering, false suggestions and, of course, many others.

There are those whose chief joy in life is the accumulation of malicious matter against every person of their acquaintance, and who relish the recitation thereof on every possible occasion. Such are ever with us; and we must be careful that we do not become their instruments in passing on their slanderous tidbits. Two questions we should raise on hearing something of an injurious character regarding others: (1) Is it true? There is a rather common type of small-souled individual who seems to think that he lifts himself from the anonymity he deserv!!s by attacking others, and who appears to feel that besmirching and discrediting others bring credit to himself. We should, therefore, raise the question, Do I know that this thing is so? Unless I have sufficient evidence of the correctness of the report, I should throw the mantle of forgetfulness about it, and relegate it to the realm of forgotten things. But, granting that it is true, I should ask this additional question, (2) Will it do any good to tell it? Will it aid the church, the community, the nation? If not, let it be forgotten forever!

it is a restless evil,—(Akatascheton kakon, an evil ever turbulent agitated, unstable, like a wild beast continually moving up and down in his cage, resisting as far as possible, all restraint.) With what vividness does James describe the tumultuous tongue! It is (a) an evil thing when uncontrolled, capable of the greatest possible injury. Those who would shrink in horror from the thought of plunging a sword into the heart of another will, nevertheless, indulge in malicious gossip that drives a sword through the heart in a manner far more painful than any possible physical injury. In Cymbeline, Act III, Scene IV, Shakespeare tells of a husband who, believing his wife to be disloyal, writes to his servant accusing her of infidelity, and commands him to kill her. The servants shows the letter to the accused woman whom he believes to be innocent. Watching the effect of the letter upon her as she reads. the servant says,

“What, shall I draw my sword? The paper

Hath cut her throat already. No ’tis slander

Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue

Outvenoms all the worms of the Nile; whose breath

Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world ; kings, queens and states,

Maids, matrons, nay the secrets oi the grave

This viperous slander enters.”

It is said that the great theologian Augustine had enscribed over his dining room table the following couplet, in Latin, reading:

“He that is wont to slander absent men

May never at this table sit again!”

Were this rule to be invariably followed today, many would never dine at the same place twice!

(b) The tongue is a restless evil, continually chaffing against any restraint which may be exercised upon it. It fights against any effort to corner it and is thus an untamed thing. It is impossible to restrain a calumnious tongue as it is impossible to overtake and restrain the calumny itself. It is of course possible to refute the slanderer and to prove his calumny false, but the originator will simply move into new areas and resume hi;; favorite avocation. Moreover, the consequences of such are farreaching and impossible to eliminate; those who heard the calumny but not the refutation will be disposed to assGciate the name and the calumny, when either is heard, and so the evil work of the slanderer continues.

it is full of deadly poison.—(Mcste iou thanatephoros, full of death-bringing poison.) The effects of its improper use are deadly and the reason is that it is filled with a poison that is death-dealing in nature. We are to understand, of course, that Jam es is discussing the improper use of the tongue here; and, is by these figures of speech indicating the far-reaching effects of such use. There is here a possible reference to Psa 140:3 : “They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips.” The phrase, “full of,” indicates that such is the character of the tongue under consideration. This form of expression is not uncommon in the sacred writings. Peter writes of those who are “full of adultery” (2Pe 2:14), and Paul of some who were “full of envy”‘ (Rom 1:29). It was not James’ design, in this instance, to describe the effects of the tongue on the individual guilty of its abuses, but upon those who are victims of it. Those possessed of such tongues are like slithering snakes carrying a sac of virulent poison which they are ready to inject at the first opportunity. There is no more contemptible character, and it is not to be wondered at that the Scriptures represent such as snakes.

If those whose delight it is to engage in slander are thus described, what of the individual who listens to, and thus encourages, the slanderer in his evil work? Were there no listeners there would be no slanderers! He who encourages another in his calumny is about as guilty as he who commits it. The receiver of stolen goods is, under the law, as much of a criminal as the thief himself; why not then, the receiver of false and malicious gossip. Were all such intercourse eliminated, the world would improve one hundred per cent over night! And many, whose chief interest consists in dwelling on the weaknesses and foibles of others, would find themselves barren of useful ideas, and without an avocation in life. Those who have hitherto allowed their minds to become garbage cans for the collection of every foul and filthy thing would suddenly discover themselves to be in the position of the man out of whom seven demons were cast outswept and garnished.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

perfect

(See Scofield “Mat 5:48”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

in: 1Ki 8:46, 2Ch 6:36, Pro 20:9, Ecc 7:20, Isa 64:6, Rom 3:10, Rom 7:21, Gal 3:22, Gal 5:17, 1Jo 1:8-10

If: Jam 3:5, Jam 3:6, Jam 1:26, Psa 34:13, Pro 13:3, 1Pe 3:10

a perfect: Jam 1:4, Mat 12:37, Col 1:28, Col 4:12, Heb 13:21, 1Pe 5:10

to bridle: 1Co 9:27

Reciprocal: Lev 13:6 – a scab Lev 13:39 – if the bright Num 12:3 – above Num 20:10 – General 2Sa 19:43 – the words Job 2:10 – In all this Job 6:24 – I will Job 9:20 – mine Job 15:13 – and lettest Psa 17:3 – I am Psa 39:1 – my mouth Psa 106:33 – he spake Psa 139:4 – there is not Psa 141:3 – Set a watch Pro 10:19 – the multitude Pro 17:27 – spareth Pro 21:23 – General Pro 23:16 – thy Ecc 5:2 – for Ecc 5:6 – thy mouth Isa 6:5 – a man Dan 9:20 – confessing Joh 13:10 – needeth Act 15:39 – the contention Rom 5:12 – all Rom 7:15 – what Rom 7:23 – another 1Co 2:6 – them Gal 2:11 – because Gal 3:11 – that Gal 6:1 – considering Eph 4:29 – no Phi 3:9 – not Phi 3:12 – I had Heb 5:14 – of full age Jam 1:19 – slow to speak Jam 5:12 – lest

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jas 3:2. For in many things. If we do have too many of such professed teachers we will offend all or all (of us) will offend or stumble. The importance of our language is the subject in several verses. If a man does not offend (or stumble) with the improper use of his tongue he will prove to be a perfect or complete man, controlling even his body.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Jas 3:2. For: the reason assigned for the second clause of the last verse.

in many things: to be taken generallyin many particulars: not to be restricted to the offences of the tongue; the restriction follows in the latter part of the verse.

we offend: literally, we trip or stumble. Human life is represented as a way, and particular actions as steps in that way; and hence acting amiss is represented as stumbling. Believers, though they may not actually fall, often stumble.

all: a strong expression in the Greek; we, all without exception.

If any offend not in wordstumble not in his speech, the same is a perfect man. By a perfect man, here and elsewhere in Scripture, is not meant a man who is absolutely free from sin, but one who is comparatively perfect. Thus Noah, Abraham, and Job were called perfect in their generations; and of Zacharias and Elizabeth it is said that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Luk 1:6). Hence, then, a perfect man is a man who has attained to a high degree of holiness. And certainly a man, whose words are inoffensive, may have his imperfections, but, compared with those who have little command over their tongues, who give an unbridled licence to their speech, he is a perfect man. He that can rule his tongue shall life without strife (Sir 19:6).

and able also to bridle his whole body: qualified to keep the body under subjection; that is, has obtained the mastery over himself, inasmuch as it is more difficult to bridle the tongue than to control the actions of the life. A mans character is known by his words: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Mat 12:34): even as the nature of a fountain is known by the quality of the stream which issues from it. Hence the wise saying of Socrates, Speak, that I may know thee. Offences of the tongue are the most common of all offences. There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue? (Sir 19:16). Even the meekness of Moses was violated by a rash word: he spake unadvisedly with his lips (Psa 106:33).

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

As if the apostle had said, “We had need be very candid in censuring others, for we all of us offend in many things ourselves, especially with and by our tongue, which is an engine of more mischief, both to ourselves and others, than any other member of the body;” and accordingly he is called here, not a gracious man, but a perfect man, one that has attained to the fullest measures, and highest degrees of grace, that can bridle his tongue: to be able to bridle the tongue is an argument of considerable growth, and happy progress in grace; he that can bridle his tongue, can bridle his whole body, that is, govern all the other actions of his life; he is a very extraordinary Christian.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Little, But Powerful

We all continually trip or slip into wrong actions. Thankfully, Christ’s blood continually cleanses ( 1Jn 1:7-9 ). The most common sins must be those of the tongue because James says the man that controls it is perfect and able to control his whole body ( Jas 3:2 ). James used two illustrations to show the power of the tongue.

First, he referred to the bridle. By controlling the horse’s mouth, the rider is able to control the whole horse. Similarly, we need to keep our tongues under control ( Psa 39:1 ). Then, James told his readers about the rudder. Huge ships are driven by fierce winds but are turned according to the pilot’s desire by a very small rudder. The tongue is small like the bridle and rudder, but it is able to do great things, either good or bad. A great bonfire, or forest fire, can be started by one small match ( Jas 3:3-5 ).

The tongue can be truly called a fire in its devastating effects ( Pro 16:27 ; Pro 26:18-28 ). An uncontrolled tongue is totally wicked, in fact, a world of evil in itself. It stains the whole life in its sinfulness. The tongue often sets the stage for what we feel we must do. Robertson notes, “It is now known that angry words cause the glands of the body to discharge a dangerous poison that affects the stomach, the heart, the brain.” There are two possible meanings for “course of nature.” It is either all of one’s life, or, the sum of all human existence. Both would be true. Hitler’s evil tongue led the whole world to war. The tongue’s fire is so destructive it can only be set on fire by Hell, which is the place of eternal punishment for the devil and his angels ( Jas 3:6 ; Mat 25:41 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

2. For in many things we all fail. If any one fail not in word, the same is a perfect man, truly able to bridle the whole body. Sanctification renders no one infallible, but it leaves us encumbered with many infirmities, for glorification to remove when this mortal puts on immortality. The Greek logos means Gods Word revealed in the Bible, while reema means mans word. In this verse we have logos, i.e., Gods Word. In the experience of entire sanctification, the whole Bible enters into the heart; meanwhile the Holy Ghost freely imparts all the grace we need to obey and live in harmony with it. While this perfect man, who is simply the normal gospel saint, is very fallible in his own word and deportment, yet he does not fail in the Word of God, because his experience is in perfect harmony with it, and he receives freely each fleeting moment all the grace he needs to obey all the commandments of God.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.

The American Standard Version translates “in many things we offend all” as “We all stumble” “For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.”

Might we say teachers make mistakes? Might we also say that teachers will have a harder judgment because of our position? True in both cases. Teachers do make mistakes and they will be held accountable for those mistakes.

How should we handle a mistake in teaching?

Condemn them publicly as a heretic? Confront them privately? Condemn them in your mind – behind their back? Go to the pastor and tell him? Suggest the proper answer as a possibility?

Depending on the situation, I would suggest that you bring up a possible correct interpretation, if that is rejected soundly, go to the pastor and discuss it and let him make the next move.

We all make mistakes and a teacher is not above one now and then as well. The mistake is not a problem, the not making the correction is the real problem. Without admonition and correction there would seem to be pride.

This is a good text to show that we should beware of any man’s teaching. Since all can make mistakes, all should be suspect. That is why the Bereans were commended for their searching of the Word daily to check up on the preaching they were getting.

James goes on to state that if one does not stumble by his use of words, then he is a perfect man.

I rather think that this was hyperbole – exaggeration to make a point. No man can go through life without making a mistake in word, and no man is perfect. I rather think that this is exactly the point James was making to his readers.

Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson

3:2 For in many things we offend all. {3} If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.

(3) The seventh place, concerning the bridling of the tongue, joined with the former, so that it is revealed that there is no man in who can not justly be found fault as well, seeing as it is a rare virtue to bridle the tongue.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

2. The reason for the warning 3:2

The person who speaks much is going to err in his or her speech much because the tongue is the hardest member of the body to control. No one has been able to master it yet except Jesus Christ. Yet spiritual maturity requires a tamed tongue (cf. Tit 1:11).

"Although not all sins laid to the account of one person are necessarily the same as those shared by others, all persons have at least one sin in common, namely, the sin of the tongue." [Note: Martin, p. 109.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)