James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

◄ James 3:10 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

English Standard Version
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

New American Standard Bible
from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

King James Bible
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way.

International Standard Version
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It should not be like this, my brothers!

American Standard Version
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Darby Bible Translation
Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.

Young's Literal Translation
out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

3:1-12 We are taught to dread an unruly tongue, as one of the greatest evils. The affairs of mankind are thrown into confusion by the tongues of men. Every age of the world, and every condition of life, private or public, affords examples of this. Hell has more to do in promoting the fire of the tongue than men generally think; and whenever men's tongues are employed in sinful ways, they are set on fire of hell. No man can tame the tongue without Divine grace and assistance. The apostle does not represent it as impossible, but as extremely difficult. Other sins decay with age, this many times gets worse; we grow more froward and fretful, as natural strength decays, and the days come on in which we have no pleasure. When other sins are tamed and subdued by the infirmities of age, the spirit often grows more tart, nature being drawn down to the dregs, and the words used become more passionate. That man's tongue confutes itself, which at one time pretends to adore the perfections of God, and to refer all things to him; and at another time condemns even good men, if they do not use the same words and expressions. True religion will not admit of contradictions: how many sins would be prevented, if men would always be consistent! Pious and edifying language is the genuine produce of a sanctified heart; and none who understand Christianity, expect to hear curses, lies, boastings, and revilings from a true believer's mouth, any more than they look for the fruit of one tree from another. But facts prove that more professors succeed in bridling their senses and appetites, than in duly restraining their tongues. Then, depending on Divine grace, let us take heed to bless and curse not; and let us aim to be consistent in our words and actions.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

10. The tongue, says ÆSOP, is at once the best and the worst of things. So in a fable, a man with the same breath blows hot and cold. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (compare Ps 62:4).

brethren—an appeal to their consciences by their brotherhood in Christ.

ought not so to be—a mild appeal, leaving it to themselves to understand that such conduct deserves the most severe reprobation.