James 3:10

James 3:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
• New International Version (NIV)Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
• English Standard Version (ESV)From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Context of James 3:10

8but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

James 3:10 word by word

ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα. οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτως γίνεσθαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the sameαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• proceedethἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• blessingεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• cursingκατάραkatara · curseG2671
• Myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• oughtχρήchrē · to ought/needG5534
• notοὐou · noG3756
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• to beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096

Cross-references for James 3:10

• Psalms 50:16But God says to the wicked: “What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips?
• Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust deceitful words, chanting, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”
• Micah 3:11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
• 1 Peter 3:9not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.
• Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
• 2 Samuel 13:12“Don’t, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t disgrace me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don’t commit this outrage!
• 1 Corinthians 3:3because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?
• 1 Timothy 5:13At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.

Commentaries on James 3:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Out of the same mouth - This saying is something like that, Proverbs 18:21; : Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and on this, for an illustration of St. James' words, hear Vayikra Rabba, sec. 33: "Rabbi Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, said to his servant Tobias, Go and bring me some good food from the market: the servant went, and he bought tongues. At another time he said to the same servant, Go and buy me some bad food: the servant went, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing - The meaning here may be, either that out of the mouth of man two such opposite things proceed, not referring to the same individual, but to different persons; or, out of the mouth of the same individual. Both of these are true; and both are equally incongruous and wrong. No organ should be devoted to uses so unlike, and the mouth should be employed in giving utterance only to that which is just…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. 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 Psa 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.Read the comment

Topics related to James 3:10

• Blasphemy
• Speaking

In the dictionaries

• Course
• Governor
• Obey
• Offend
• Ought
• Tame
• Blessing
• Busybody
• curse, cursed, cursing
• image of God, image

Commentaries on James 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings