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 restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

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: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?
• Jeremiah 7:4But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”
• Micah 3:11You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the Lord is here among us.”
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
• 1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.
• Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done!
• 2 Samuel 13:12“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?
• 1 Timothy 5:13And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

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