English Standard Version
James 4:11
11Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
James 4:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
- New International Version (NIV)Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
Context of James 4:11
9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"—
Read all of James 4James 4:11 word by word
Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί· ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ ἢ κρίνων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καταλαλεῖ νόμου καὶ κρίνει νόμον· εἰ δὲ νόμον κρίνεις, οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νόμου ἀλλὰ κριτής.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Speakκαταλαλέωkatalaleō · to slanderG2635
- notμήmē · notG3361
- one of anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
- brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- He thatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- judgethκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- butδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- thou artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- a doerποιητήςpoiētēs · doerG4163
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- a judgeκριτήςkritēs · judgeG2923
Cross-references for James 4:11
- Psalms 140:11Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
- Ephesians 4:31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
- 1 Timothy 3:11Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
- 2 Timothy 3:3heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
- 1 Peter 2:1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
- Matthew 7:1"Judge not, that you be not judged.
- Luke 6:37"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
- Romans 2:1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
- Romans 14:3Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
- Romans 7:7What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
- James 1:22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
- Romans 2:13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
Commentaries on James 4:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Speak not evil one of another - Perhaps this exhortation refers to evil speaking, slander, and backbiting in general, the writer having no particular persons in view. It may, however, refer to the contentions among the zealots, and different factions then prevailing among this wretched people, or to their calumnies against those of their brethren who had embraced the Christian faith. He that speaketh evil of his brother - It was an avowed and very general…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Speak not evil one of another, brethren - It is not known to whom the apostle here particularly refers, nor is it necessary to know. It is probable that among those whom he addressed there were some who were less circumspect in regard to speaking of others than they should be, and perhaps this evil prevailed. There are few communities where such an injunction would not be proper at any time, and few churches where some might not be found to whom the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-17Verses 11-17 Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great a restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; let us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. "Go to now," is a call to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11do not slander one another: This appeal for peace among Christians means they must not speak badly about one another. Speaking badly about a neighbor is like speaking badly about God's law. This is because the law forbids slander and requires loving your neighbor (2:8; Leviticus 19:16–18; Matthew 7:1–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Having mentioned sins of the tongue (Jas 3:5-12), he shows here that evil-speaking flows from the same spirit of exalting self at the expense of one's neighbor as caused the "fightings" reprobated in this chapter (Jas 4:1). Speak not evil--literally, "Speak not against" one another. brethren--implying the inconsistency of such depreciatory speaking of one another in brethren. speaketh evil of the law--for the law in commanding, "Love thy neighbor as…Read the comment
Topics related to James 4:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on James 4
- 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
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