Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Verse Takeaways
1
The Unnatural Contradiction
Commentators unanimously highlight the profound contradiction James points out: blessing God and cursing people made in His image with the same mouth. Scholars describe this as unnatural and morally incongruous, comparing it to a single fountain trying to produce both fresh and salt water. True religion, as Matthew Henry notes, does not permit such contradictions.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
James
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
6
18th Century
Presbyterian
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. The meaning here may be either that out of the mouth of man two such opposite thing…
Ought not (ου χρη). The only use of this old impersonal verb (from χραω) in the N.T. It is more like πρεπε (it is appropriate) tha…
19th Century
Anglican
Ought not.—The Greek equivalent for this is only found here in the New Testament, and seems strangely weak when we reflect on the …
Consider supporting our work
Again, James stresses the inconsistency of the tongue in that it is the source of such direct opposites as “praise and cursing.” He does not have o…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing Which is not only a contradiction, but unnatural, as well as wic…
We are taught to dread an unruly tongue as one of the greatest evils. The affairs of humankind are thrown into confusion by the tongues of people. …
Get curated content & updates
