11. Taken from [Is 40:6-8].
heat--rather, "the hot wind" from the (east or) south, which scorches vegetation ([Lu 12:55]). The "burning heat" of the sun is not at its rising, but rather at noon; whereas the scorching Kadim wind is often at sunrise ([Jon 4:8]) [Middleton, The Doctrine of the Greek Article]. [Mt 20:12] uses the Greek word for "heat." [Is 40:7], "bloweth upon it," seems to answer to "the hot wind" here.
grace of the fashion--that is of the external appearance.
in his ways--referring to the burdensome extent of the rich man's devices [Bengel]. Compare "his ways," that is, his course of life, [Jas 1:8].
12. Blessed--Compare the beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount ([Mt 5:4], [10, 11]).
endureth temptation--not the "falling into divers temptations" ([Jas 1:2]) is the matter for "joy," but the enduring of temptation "unto the end." Compare [Job 5:17].
when he is tried--literally, "when he has become tested" or "approved," when he has passed through the "trying" ([Jas 1:3]), his "faith" having finally gained the victory.
the crown--not in allusion to the crown or garland given to winners in the games; for this, though a natural allusion for Paul in writing to the heathen, among whom such games existed, would be less appropriate for James in addressing the Jewish Christians, who regarded Gentile usages with aversion.
of life--"life" constitutes the crown, literally, the life, the only true life, the highest and eternal life. The crown implies a kingdom ([Psa 21:3]).
the Lord--not found in the best manuscripts and versions. The believer's heart fills up the omission, without the name needing to be mentioned. The "faithful One who promised" ([He 10:23]).
to them that love him--In [2Ti 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 by solicitation to evil. Heretofore the "temptation" meant was that of probation by afflictions. 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 ([Jas 1:16], ). Therefore do not sink under the pressure of evils ([1Co 10:13]).
of God--by agency proceeding from God. The Greek is not "tempted by," but, "from," implying indirect agency.
cannot be tempted with evil, &c.--"Neither do any of our sins tempt God to entice us to worse things, nor does He tempt any of His own accord" (literally, "of Himself"; compare the antithesis, [Jas 1:18], "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 [Ge 22:1] to have "tempted Abraham"; but there the tempting meant is that of trying or proving, not that of seducement. Alford translates according to the ordinary sense of the Greek, "God is unversed 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. Every man, when tempted, is so through being drawn away of (again here, as in [Jas 1:13], the Greek for "of" expresses the actual source, rather than 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. Each one has his own peculiar (so the Greek) lust, arising from his own temperament and habit. Lust flows from the original birth-sin in man, inherited from Adam.
drawn away--the beginning step in temptation: drawn away from truth and virtue.
enticed--literally, "taken with a bait," as fish are. The further progress: the man allowing himself (as the Greek middle voice implies) to be enticed to evil [Bengel]. "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," namely, of that kind to which the temptation inclines. Then the particular sin (so the Greek implies), "when it is completed, brings forth death," with which it was all along pregnant [Alford]. This "death" stands in striking contrast to the "crown of life" ([Jas 1:12]) which "patience" or endurance ends in, when it has its "perfect work" ([Jas 1:4]). He who will fight Satan with Satan's own weapons, must not wonder if he finds himself overmatched. Nip sin in the bud of lust.
16. Do not err in attributing to God temptation to evil; nay (as he proceeds to show), "every good," all that is good on earth, comes from God.
17. gift ... 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 boon, when perfected. As the "good gift" stands in contrast to "sin" in its initiatory stage ([Jas 1:15]), so the "perfect boon" is in contrast to "sin when it is finished," bringing forth death ([2Pe 1:3]).
from above--(Compare [Jas 3:15]).
Father of lights--Creator of the lights in heaven (compare [Job 38:28] [Alford]; [Ge 4:20], ; [He 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 Urim. As "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" ([1Jo 1:5]), He cannot in any way be the Author of sin ([Jas 1:13]), which is darkness ([Joh 3:19]).
no variableness ... shadow of turning--(Mal 3:6). None of the alternations of light and shadow which the physical "lights" undergo, and which even the spiritual lights are liable to, as compared with God. "Shadow of turning," literally, the dark "shadow-mark" cast from one of the heavenly bodies, arising from its "turning" or revolution, for example, when the moon is eclipsed by the shadow of the earth, and the sun by the body of the moon. Bengel makes a climax, "no variation--not even the shadow of a turning"; the former denoting a change in the understanding; the latter, in the will.
18. ([Joh 1:13]). The believer's regeneration is the highest example of nothing but good proceeding from God.
Of his own will--Of his own good pleasure (which shows that it is God's essential nature to do good, not evil), not induced by any external cause.
begat he us--spiritually: a once-for-all accomplished act ([1Pe 1:3], ). In contrast to "lust when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin ... death" ([Jas 1:15]). Life follows naturally in connection with light ([Jas 1:17]).
word of truth--the Gospel. The objective mean, as faith is the appropriating mean of regeneration by the Holy Spirit as the efficient agent.
a kind of first-fruits--Christ is, in respect to the resurrection, "the first-fruits" ([1Co 15:20], ): believers, in respect to regeneration, are, as it were, first-fruits (image from the consecration of the first-born of man, cattle, and fruits to God; familiar to the Jews addressed), that is, they are the first of God's regenerated creatures, and the pledge of the ultimate regeneration of the creation, [Ro 8:19], , where also the Spirit, the divine agent of the believer's regeneration, is termed "the first-fruits," that is, the earnest that the regeneration now begun in 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 "first-fruits," sanctify the rest; for this reason they are much tried now.
19. Wherefore--as your evil is of yourselves, but your good from God. However, the oldest manuscripts and versions read thus: "Ye know it (so [Ep 5:5]; [He 12:17]), my beloved brethren; BUT (consequently) let every man be swift to hear," that is, docile in receiving "the word of truth" ([Jas 1:18], ). The true method of hearing is treated in [Jas 1:21-27], and [Jas 2:1-26].
slow to speak--([Pr 10:19]; , ; [Ec 5:2]). A good way of escaping one kind of temptation arising from ourselves ([Jas 1:13]). Slow to speak authoritatively as a master or teacher of others (compare [Jas 3:1]): a common Jewish fault: slow also to speak such hasty things of God, as in [Jas 1:13]. 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 behind the teeth.
slow to wrath--([Jas 3:13], ; ). Slow in becoming heated by debate: another Jewish fault ([Ro 2:8]), to which much speaking tends. Tittmann thinks not so much "wrath" is meant, as an indignant feeling of fretfulness under the calamities to which the whole of human life is exposed; this accords with the "divers temptations" in [Jas 1:2]. Hastiness of temper hinders hearing God's word; so Naaman, [2Ki 5:11]; [Lu 4:28].
20. Man's angry zeal in debating, as if jealous for the honor of God's righteousness, is far from working that which is really righteousness in God's sight. True "righteousness is sown in peace," not in wrath ([Jas 3:18]). The oldest and best reading means "worketh," that is, practiceth not: the received reading is "worketh," produceth not.
21. lay apart--"once for all" (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. Compare Joshua's filthy garments, [Zec 3:3], ; [Re 7:14]. "Filthiness" is cleansed away by hearing the word ([Joh 15:3]).
superfluity of naughtiness--excess (for instance, the intemperate spirit implied in "wrath," [Jas 1:19], ), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). [1Pe 2:1] has the very same words in the Greek. So "malice" is the translation, [Ep 4:31]; [Col 3:8]. "Faulty excess" [Bengel] is not strong enough. Superfluous excess in speaking is also reprobated as "coming of evil" (the Greek is akin to the word for "naughtiness" here) in the Sermon on the Mount ([Mt 5:37]), with which James' Epistle is so connected.
with meekness--in mildness towards one another [Alford], the opposite to "wrath" ([Jas 1:20]): answering to "as new-born babes" ([1Pe 2:2]). Meekness, I think, includes also a childlike, docile, humble, as well as an uncontentious, spirit ([Psa 25:9]; ; [Is 66:2]; [Mt 5:5]; [11:28-30]; , ; contrast [Ro 2:8]). On "receive," applied to ground receiving seed, compare [Mr 4:20]. Contrast [Ac 17:11]; [1Th 1:6] with [2Th 2:10].
engrafted word--the Gospel word, whose proper attribute is to be engrafted by the Holy Spirit, so as to be livingly incorporated with the believer, as the fruitful shoot is with the wild natural stock on which it is engrafted. The law came to man only from without, and admonished him of his duty. The Gospel is engrafted inwardly, and so fulfils the ultimate design of the law ([De 6:6]; ; [Psa 119:11]). Alford translates, "The implanted word," referring to the parable of the sower ([Mt 13:1-23]). I prefer English Version.
able to save--a strong incentive to correct our dulness in hearing the word: that word which we hear so carelessly, is able (instrumentally) to save us [Calvin].
souls--your true selves, for the "body" is now liable to sickness and death: but the soul being now saved, both soul and body at last shall be so ([Jas 5:15], ).
22. Qualification of the precept, "Be swift to hear": "Be ye doers ... not hearers only"; not merely "Do the word," but "Be doers" systematically and continually, as if this was your regular business. James here again refers to the Sermon on the Mount ([Mt 7:21-29]).
deceiving your own selves--by the logical fallacy (the Greek implies this) that the mere hearing is all that is needed.
23. For--the logical self-deceit ([Jas 1:22]) illustrated.
not a doer--more literally, "a notdoer" [Alford]. The true disciple, say the rabbis, learns in order that he may do, not in order that he may merely know or teach.
his natural face--literally, "the countenance of his birth": the face he was born with. As a man may behold his natural face in a mirror, so the hearer may perceive his moral visage in God's Word. This faithful 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 vileness.
24. beholdeth--more literally, "he contemplated himself and hath gone his way," that is, no sooner has he contemplated his image than he is gone his way ([Jas 1:11]). "Contemplate" 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 forgetfulness follows [Alford] (Compare [Eze 33:31]). "Contemplate" here, and in [Jas 1:23], implies that, though cursory, yet some knowledge of one's self, at least for the time, is imparted in hearing the word ([1Co 14:24]).
and ... and--The repetition expresses hastiness joined with levity [Bengel].