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Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
Verse Takeaways
1
A Call to Godly Sorrow
Commentators are unanimous that this verse is not a command to be perpetually gloomy. Instead, it's a powerful call to feel genuine, deep sorrow specifically for one's sins. Scholars like John Calvin call this a 'salutary mourning' meant to shake believers out of spiritual complacency and self-flattery regarding their worldliness and lusts.
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James
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8
18th Century
Presbyterian
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. This is, evidently, on account of your sins. The sins to which the apostle refers are those he had spec…
Be afflicted (ταλαιπωρησατε). First aorist active imperative ταλαιπωρεω, old verb from ταλαιπωρος (Romans 7:24), to en…
19th Century
Anglican
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep.—For wretchedness, sorrow, and tears are the three steps of the path home to peace and …
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Baptist
If the previous verses have rightly accused you of sin, confess your guilt with shame and sorrow, and so come to Christ imploring pardon.
Four of the ten imperatives of vv.7–10 occur in this verse, and all four are calls to repentance. “Grieve” (GK 5415) is a strong word meaning “to b…
16th Century
Protestant
Be afflicted and mourn. Christ proclaims that mourning will come as a curse upon those who laugh now (Luke 6:25), and James, i…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep Not in a bare external way; not by afflicting the body with fastings and scourging…
Since all wars and fighting come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in our members. Worldly and fl…
