Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Ood Temptelh Ni} Man, JAMES I. bul is the Author of all Good.
(his lowly state). It. Taken from Isaiah 40. 6-S. heathimself overmatched. Nip sin in the bud of lust. 16. Do not err in attributing to God temptation to evil; nay (as he proceeds to sliow), " ever.y good," all that is good on earth, comes from God. 17. gUt . . . gift—Not the same words in Greek: the first, the act of giving, or the gift In its initiatory stage; the second, the thing given, the bom, when perfected. As the "good gift" slands in contrast to "sin" in its initiatory stage {v. 15), so the "perfect boon" rather, "the hot wiud" from the (east or) south, which scorches vegetation (Luke 12. 55). The " burning heat" of the sun is not at Its rising, but rather at noon; whereas tlie scorching Kadim wind is often at sunrise (Jonah 4. 8). (jMiddleton, Greek Article.'] Matthew 20. 12 uses the Greet word for "heat." Isaiah 40.7, " Bloweih upon it," seems to answer to "the hot wind" here, grace of the eashion—{. e., of the external appearance, in his ways referring to the burdensome extent of the rich man's deis in contrast to "sin when it is flnislied," bringing forth death (2 Peter 1. 3). from above—(Cf. ch. 3. 15.) Fatlier of llglits—Creator of the lights in heaven (cf. Job .'iS. 28 [AlroKD]; Genesis 4.20,21; Hebrews 12.9;. This accords with the reference to the changes in the light of the heavenly bodies alluded to in the end of the verse. Also, Father of the spiritual lights in the kingdom of grace and glory. [Bengel.] These were typified by the supernatural lights on the breastplate of the high priest, the Uriin. As "God is liglit, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1. 5), He cannot in any way be the Autlior of sin {v. 13), which is darkness (John 3. 19). no variableness vices. [Bengel.] Cf. "his ways," t. e., his course of lil'e, V. 8. Blessed—Cf. the beatitudes in tlie Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5. 4, 10, 11. cndureth temptation—not tiie "falling into divers temptations" (t>. 2) is tlie matter lor "jo.v," but the enduring of temptation " unto tlie end."
Cf. Job 5. 17. when he is tried lit., when he has become tested or approvid, when he has passed through the "trying" (v. 3), his "faith" having Anally gained the victory, the crown—not in allusion to the crown or garland given to winners iu the games; for this, though a natural allusion for St. Paul In writing to the heathen, among whom such gamfs existed, would be less appropriate for St. James In addressing the Jewish Christians, who regarded Gentile usages with aversion, of life—"life" constitutes the crown, lit., the life, the only true life, the highest and eternallife. The crown implies a kingdom (Psalm 21.3). the Lord—not found in the best MSS. and versions. The . . . sliailow of turning—(Malaehi 3. 6.) None of tlie alternations of light and shadow whicli the physical "lights" undergo, and which even the spiritual lights are liable to, as compared with God. ".Shadow of turning," lit., the dark shadow-mark cast from one of the heavenly bodies, arising from its turning or revoialion, e. g., when tlie moon is eclipsed by the shadow of the earth, and the sun by the body of tlie moon. Bengel makes a climax, "no variation—not even tlie shadow of a turning :" the former denoting a change in the understanding ; the latter, in the bclit ver's heart fills up the oni Lssion, without the name needing to be mentioned. The "faithful One who promised" (Hebrews 10. 23). to them tliat love him—In 2 Timothy 4. 8, " the crown of righteousness to them that love His appearing." Love produces patient endurance: none attest their love more than they who suffer for Him. 13. when . . . tempted—tried hy solicitation to evil. Heretofore the "temptation" meant was that of probation by wilt. 18. (John I. 13.) The believer's regeneration is the highest example of nothing but good proceeding from God. Of liis own will-Of his own good pleasure (which shows tliat it is God's essential nature to do good, not evil), not induced by any external cause, begat l»e us spiritually: a once-for-all accomplished act (1 Peter 1.3, ajSUction.1. Let no one fancy that God lays upon him an inevitable necessity of sinning. God does not send trials on you in order to make you worse, but to make you better (D. 16, 17). Therefore do not sink under the pressure of evils (1 Corinthians 10. 13). of God—by agency proceeding from God. The Greek is not "tempted by," but, "from God," implying indirect agency, cannot be tempted with evil, &o.—"Neither do any of our sins tempt God to entice us to worse things, nor does He tempt any of His own accord" {lit., of Himself: cf. the antithesis, V. 18, " Of His own will He begat us" to holiness, so far is He from tempting us of His own will). [Bengel.] God is said In Genesis 22. 1 to have "tempted Abraham;" but there the tempting meant is that of trying or proving, not that of seducement. AjFOWi translates according to the ordinary sense of the Greek, "God isunversed in evil." But as this gives a less likely sense, English Version probably gives the true sense; for ecclesiastical Greek often uses words in new senses, as the exigencies of the new truths to be taught required. 14. JCvery man, when tempted, is so through being drawn away of (again here, as in V. 13, the Greek for "of" expresses the actual source, rather tlian the agent of temptation) his own lust. The cause of sin is in ourselves. Even Satan's suggestions do not endanger us before they are made our own. FJach one has /iti orwn peculiar (so the Greek) lust, arising from his own temperament and habit. Lust flows from the original birth-sin in man, inherited from Adam, dratvn *way—the beginning step in temptation: drawn away from truth and virtue, enticed—ii7., taken with a bait, as 23). In contrast to "lust when it hath conceived, bringelh forth sin, and sin . . . death" (v. 15). Life follows naturally in connection with light (v. 17). word of truth—the Gospel. The objective mean, a faith is tlie appropriating mean of regeneration by the Holy Spirit as the etficient agent, a kind of first-fruits—Christ is, in respect to the resurrection, "the first-fruits" (1 Corinthians 15. 20, 23): believers, in respect to regeneration, are, as it were, firstfruits (image from the consecration of tlie first-born of man, cattle, and fruits to God; familiar to tlie Jews addressed), i. e., they are the first of God's regenerated creatures, and the pledge of the ultimate regeneration of the creation. Romans 8. 19, 23, where also the Spirit, the Divine agent of the believer's regeneration, is termed "the firstfruits," i. e., tlie earnest that the regeneration now begun iu the soul, shall at last extend to the body too, and to the lower parts of creation. Of all God's visible creatures, believers are the noblest part, and like the legal "firstfruits," sanctify the rest; for this reason they are much tried now. 19. Wlierefore—as your evil is of yourselves, but your good from God. However, the oldest MS.S. and versions read thus : " Ye know it (so Ephesians 5. 5 ; Hebrews 12. 17), my beloved brethren ; but (consequently) let every man be swift to hear," i. e., docile in receiving " the word of truth " (v. 18, 21). Tlie true method of hearing is treated of i'. 21-27, and ch. 2. slow to spcalc—(Proverbs 10. 19; 17. 27, 28; Ecclesiastes 5.2.) A good way of escaping one kind of temptation arising from ourselves (t!. 13). Slow to speak authoritatively as a master or teacher of others (cf. ch. 3. 1): a common Jewish fault: slow also to speak such hasty things of God, as in v. 13. Two ears are given to us, the rabbis observe, but only one tongue: the ears are open and exposed, whereas the tongue is walled in belund the teeth, slow to wratli (Ch. 3. 13, 14; 4. 5.) Slow in becoming heated by deliate: another Jewish fault (Homans 2. 8), to whicli much speaking tends. TiTTMANN thinks not so much "wrath" is meant, as an indignant feeling ot frelfulness under the calamities to whicli the wliole of human life is exposed flsh are. The further progress: the man allowing himself (as the Greek middle voice Implies) to be enticed to evil. fBENOEi..] "Lust" is here personified as the harlot that allures the man. 15. The guilty union is committed by the will embracing the temptress. "Lust," the harlot, then, "brings forth sin," viz., of that kind to which the temptation inclines. Then the particxdar sin (so tlie Greek Implies), "when It Is completed, brings forth death," *-ith which it was all along pregnant. [Alford.] This "death" stands In striking contrast to the "crown of life"
12) which "patience" or endurance ends in, when it has its "perfect work" (i'. 4). He who will fight Satan With Satan's own weapons, must not wonder If he finds tills accords with the " divers temptations " in v. 2. Hastiness of temper hinders hearing God's word; .so Naaman, 2 Kings 3. 11 ; Luke 1. 28. /iO. Man's angry zeal In <!•• 485
We are to he not only Hearers, JAMES II. but Doers of the Word. perfecting (as shown in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5. 48), and making us truly walk at liberty (I'salni batiug, as if jealous for tne honour of God's risxlitoousliess, is far from worliing tliat whic-li is really riylileousness ia God's siglU. True " rigliteousness is sown in peace," not in wratli (cli. 3. 18). Tlie oldest and best readlug means " worlieth," t. <., practiseth not: the received reading is " worketh," produceth not. til. lay ai>art—once
119. 32, Claa-ch of England Prai/er Book Version). Chi istians are toaim ata liigher standard of holiness than was generally understood under the law. The principle of love takes the place of the letter of the law, so that by the Spirit they are free from the yoke of sin, and free to obey by spontaneous instinct (ch. 2. 8, 10, 12; John 8. 31-30; 15.
/or all (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. CI. Joshua's
Jilthy garments, Zechariah :!. 8,5; Revelation 7. 11. "Filthiness" is cleansed away by hearing the word (John 15. S).
14, 15; cf. 1 Corinthians 7. 22; Galatians 5. 1, 13; 1 Peter 2.
16). The law is thus not made void, but fulfilled, contlnuefli tUereln—contrasted with "goeth his way," v. 24: continues both looking into the mirror of God's word, and doing its precepts, doer of the work—rather, "a doer of work" [Alford], an actual worker, blessed in his dee«l—rallier, " in his doing;" in the very doing there is blessedness (Psalm 19. 11). 30, 37. An example of doing work, religious . . . religion—the Greek expresses the external service or exercise of ?-e?/{/ion, " godliness" being the internal soul of it. "If any man think himself to be (so the Greek) religious, i. e., observant of the offices of religion, let him know these consist not so much In outward observances, as iu such acts of mercy and humble piety (Micah 6. 7, 8) as visiting tlie fatherless, &c., and keeping one's self unspotted from the world" (Matthew 23. 23). St. James does not mean that the.se offices are the great essensjiperfljilty of naug Utlness excess (for instance, the intemperate spirit implied iu "wrath," v. 13, 20), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). 1 Peter 2. 1 has the very same words in the Greek. So "malice" is the translation, Ephesians 4. SI
Colossians 3.8. "Faulty excess" [Bengel] is not strong enough. Superfluou.s excess in speaking is also reprobated as "coming of evil" (the Greek is akin to the word for naugliliness here) in the Sermon on the Jlount (Matthew
5. 37), with which St. James' Epistles is so connected, with, meekness—m mildness towards one anotlier [Alford], the opposite to "wrath" (u. 20): answering to "as new-born babes" (1 Peter 2.2). Meekness, I think, includes also a childlike, docile, humble, as well as an uncontentions spirit (P.salm 2-5. 9; 45. 4; Isaiah 66. 2; Matthew 5. 5; 11. 28-
30: 18. 3, 4; contrast Romans 2. 8). On " receive," applied to ground receiving seed, cf. Mark 4. 20. Contrast Acts tials, or sum total of religion ; but that, whereas the lawservice was merely ceremonial, the very services of the Gospel consist in acts of mercy and holiness, and it has light for its garment, its very robe being righteousness. [Trench.] The Greek word is only found in Acts 26. 5, "After thestraitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." Colossians 2. 18, " Worshipping of angels." bridletli not
17. 11; 1 Thessaloniaus 1. 6 witli 2 Thessalonians 2. 10. engrafted word—The Gospel word, whose proper attribute is to be engrafted by the Holy Spirit, so as to be livingly incorporated witli tlie believer, as the fruitlul shoot is with the wild natural stock on which it is engrafted. Tlie law came to man only from without, and admonislied him of his duty. The Gospel is engrafted inwardly, and so fulfils the ultimate design of the law (Deuteronomy 6. 6; 11.18; Psalm 119. 11). \lAf)-RTi translates, "The implanted word," referring to the f <rable of the sower (Matthew 13). I prefer English VersXtn. able to gave—a strong incentive to correct our dulness in hearing the word : tliat word which we hear so carelessly, is able (instrumenlally) to save us, [Calvin.] somIs—your true selves, for the " body " is now liable to sickness and death ; but the soul being now saved, both soul and body. . . tongue—Discretion in speech is better than fluency of speech (cf. ch. 3. 2, 3). Cf. Psalm 39. 1. God alone cau enable us to do so. St. James, iu treating of the law, naturally notices this sin. For they who are free from gross(!r sins, and even bear tlie outward show of sanctity, will olten exalt tliemselves by detracting others under the pretence of zeal, whilst their real motive is love of evil-speaking. [Calvin.] heart-it and the tongue act and react on one another. 37. Pure . . . and undei Ued —" Pure" is that love which has in it no foreign admixture, as self-deceit and hypocrisy. "Undeliled" is the means of its being "pure."' [Tittmann.] " Pure" expresses the at last shall be so(ch. 5, 15, 20j. 32. Qualilicalion of the precept, "Be swift to hear:" "Be ye doers . . . not hearers only:'' not merely "Do the word," but"jBe doers" systematically and continually, as if this was your regular business. St. James here again refers to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7. 21-29). deceiving your own selves— by the logical fallacy (the G'recA i m p 1 ics this) that the mere bearing is all that is needed. 23. For— the logical selfdeceit (i). 22) illustrated, not a doer—more lit., "a noldoer." [Alford. J The true disciple, say the rabbis, learns in order that he may do, not In order that he' may merely know or teach. Uis natural tiwv—lil., the countenance of his birth: the face he was born with. As a man may behold his >iaY(n-aZ face in a mirror, so the hearer may perceive bis moral visage in God's word. This faithpositive, " undefiled" the negative side of religious service; just as visiting the fatherless and ividow is the acttive, keeping liimself itnsj)otted from the world, the passive side of religious duty. This is the nobler shape that our religious exercises talce, instead of the cerejiionial ot Kces of the law. before God and the Fatlier lit., "belbre Him who is (our) God and Father." God is so called to imply that if we would be like our Father, it is not by fasting, <3tc., for He does none of these things, but iu being " merciful as our Father is merciful." [Cukysostom.] visit — iu symjiatliy and kind otiices to alleviate their distresses, tiic fatherless—whose "Father" is God (Psalm 68. 5); peculiarly helpless, and—not in the Greek; so close is the connection between active works of meicy to others, and the maintenance of per.sonal unworldliness of spirit, word, and deed ; no copula therefore Is needed. Religion ful portraiture of man's soul in Scripture, is the strongest proof of the truth of the latter. In it, too, we see mirrored God's glory, as well as our natural vih'ucss. 34. belioldetU—more "he contemplated himself and halh gone his waiy," i. e., no sooner has he conteinplali'il his image than he is gone his way (i;. 11). "Conleiuplate"' answers to hearing the word: "goeth his way," to relaxing the attention after hearing — letting the mind go elsewhere, and the interest of the thing heard pass away: then furgetfulness follows [ALFOKn] (ct. K/.ekiel 33. 31). in its rise interests us abt)ul <nirsi lves ; In its progress, ii Uoul ouf fellom-ereatures ; in Its highest stage, about (he honour of God. keep himself—wi 111 Jealous walclitulness, at the same time praying and depending on God as alone able to keep us (John 17. 15; Jude 21).
CHAPTKR II.
" Conleniplato " here, and i'. 23, Implies that, though cur-
Ver. 1-26. The Sin ov Respect ok Pt'.h.sons: Dead, Unwokking Faith Have.s no Man. l-l.'J. St. James Illussory, yet some knowledge of one's self, at leiist for the time, is Imparted In hearing the word (1 Corintliians H.
24). and . . . and—the repetition oxpres.ses hastiness joined witli levity. (Bkngkl.] forgettetli wliat iii.tnner of man Ikc was—In the mirror. Forgellulncss is no excuse (v. 2.">; 2 Vv.U'Y 1. !)). 3."i. lookelU into— /i7., .stoapeth down to take a close look into. Peers into: stronger lhan trates '-the perfect law of liberty"' (ch. 1. 2>) In one particular Instance of a sin against It, concluding with a relerence again to that law (r. 12, 13). 1. brethren— the equality of all Cluistlaiis as "brethren," forms the groundwork of the admonition, the faith of . . . t'lirUt — t. f., the Christian faith. St. James grounds CUirist.un practice on Christian faith, the Lord ot f;lory— Ho 1 Corinthians 2. S. As all believers, alike rich and poor.
•' beholdeth," or "contemplated," r. 21. A blessed curl-
OBlty If it 1)6 eflicacious in bearing fruit. [I5en(JEL,] perfect law of liberty-the Gospel-rule of life, jierfect and 4UG