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

8Yet, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison. 9With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen! 11Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce 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 wicked people, “How dare you quote my decrees and mouth my promises!
• Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust the words of this saying, “This is the Lord’s temple, the Lord’s temple, the Lord’s temple!” It’s a lie.
• Micah 3:11Your leaders exchange justice for bribes. Your priests teach for a price. Your prophets tell the future for money. But they rely on the Lord when they say, “After all, the Lord is with us. Nothing bad will happen to us.”
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Bless them, and don’t curse them.
• 1 Peter 3:9Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you, or ridicule those who ridicule you. Instead, bless them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.
• Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.”
• 2 Samuel 13:12“No,” she told him, “don’t rape me! That shouldn’t be done in Israel. Don’t do this godless act!
• 1 Corinthians 3:3because you’re still influenced by your corrupt nature. When you are jealous and quarrel among yourselves, aren’t you influenced by your corrupt nature and living by human standards?
• 1 Timothy 5:13At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, 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