That responsibility falls to God alone. If thou judge the law, thou art not a doer ... but a judge. ‘But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.’ The point here is that those who are doers of the Law and those who are judges of the Law take up a totally different attitude. The tongue is a tiny member of the body, but its ungodly use can cause real damage. The following verse tells the reason why it is not so. ‘He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law. All rights reserved. It causes the Christian to fall from grace into legalism. "Commentary on James 4:11". We are not simply to KNOW the law. thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, "In the next section (4:11-17), James continues to set forth instances, some of them seemingly innocent on the surface, that are nevertheless just as worldly and therefore harmful as the more popularly identified taboos. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/james-4.html. See the notes at Matthew 7:1. Use the buttons below to get details on the Greek word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word. Greek. Our own attitude toward those who have been in error is naturally critical" (p. 171). © 2017 QuotesCosmos ● Home ● About ● Privacy ● Terms ● Principles ● Sitemap ● Contact. John Trapp Complete Commentary. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. It is commonly not safe to judge hastily of a man who has turned his attention to a particular subject, or to suppose that he has no reasons to allege for his opinions or conduct. But it rather appears to mean: He that speaketh evil of his brother condemneth his brother; and in doing so, without necessary occasion, usurpeth the authority of the judge; a meaning, however, which is not essentially different. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dun/james-4.html. In His precious name I pray, AMEN. (7) He reprehends most sharply another double mischief of pride. "Commentary on James 4:11". "The command in Greek means "stop speaking evil, or slandering." If the law is to be changed, it is for the one only Lawgiver and Judge to change it. It may be presumed, unless there is evidence to the contrary, that others are as conscientious as we are; and it may commonly be supposed that they who differ from us have some reason for what they do, and may be desirous of glorifying their Lord and Master, and that they may possibly be right. James 4:11. Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible. The particle δέ serves to carry on the thought: οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νό΄ου, i.e. Speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law - Instead of manifesting the feelings of a brother he sets himself up as judge, and not only a judge of his brother, but a judge of the law. "Do not speak against one another, brethren. (203) Grotius, Baumgarten, Hottinger quite erroneously understand by νόμος the Christian doctrine, and find therein expressed the sentiment, that whosoever imposes upon his neighbour arbitrary commandments designates the Christian doctrine as defective, and in so far sets himself up as its judge.(204). “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. All rights reserved. Of coarse, all evil speaking is not here forbidden; we are bound to direct attention to the wicked, as a warning to others; but the evil speaking which St. James here condemns, is sinful censuring; judging the motives and character of men; pretending to see into their hearts, and discerning the motives of their actions; condemning them without good reason from prejudice and envy, and thus usurping the judicial authority of God. We say that we can do what we want - we don"t have to follow the law. What is commonly known as worldliness or being a friend of the world includes much more than what we typically place in that category. BibliographyIce, Rhoderick D. "Commentary on James 4:11". Not a few of the harsh judgments which one class of religionists pronounce on others, are in fact judgments on the laws of Christ.