Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 1:8

"a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways." — James 1:8 (ASV)

“That man” is a somewhat derogatory reference to the doubter, whom James has just compared to the tossing wave. Here he is further characterized as “double-minded” (lit., “double-souled”; GK 1500). It is as though one soul declares, “I believe,” and the other in turn shouts, “I don’t!” This sort of instability is not only apparent when the person prays, it marks “all he does.” In one’s personal life, business life, social life, as well as spiritual life, indecisiveness negates all effectiveness. A person like this will not “receive anything from the Lord.” But one may wonder how this man is different from the anguished father who cried, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This father was not oscillating between belief and unbelief. He desired to believe— and even asserted his belief—but because he felt keenly the inadequacy of his faith, he asked for help in believing. He was not facing both directions at the same time like the “double-minded man” of Jas 1:8. In spite of his conscious weakness, he had set his heart to believe. And Christ responded to his faith and healed his son (Mark 9:25–27). In response to this kind of faith, God will give wisdom to those who ask for it and enable them to persevere in times of trial.