James 3:17

James 3:17 . But the wisdom that is from above — Of celestial origin; which comes from God; is first pure — From all unholy and corrupt mixtures, whether of error or sin. It is agreeable to the tenor of divine and evangelical truth, and conscientious in the discharge of every duty to God and man; it is therefore purified from all that is earthly, sensual, and devilish; then peaceable — Desirous of making and maintaining peace; and willing, in order thereto, to sacrifice any thing, except important truth and manifest duty; gentle — Soft, mild, yielding, not rigid; easy to be entreated — Persuaded and reconciled where any matters of disgust may have arisen; not stubborn, sour, morose; full of mercy — Of pity and compassion toward persons in a state of ignorance, guilt, and depravity; ready to relieve the miseries and pardon the faults of others; and good fruits — Both in the heart and in the life; two of which are immediately specified; without partiality — To those of our own sentiments or denomination, to the injury of others; loving all without respect of persons; embracing all good things, rejecting all evil. The original word, αδιακριτος , is, literally, without making a difference. This character of true religion was very properly mentioned to those whom the apostle had rebuked for their respect of persons, James 2:1-9 .

Without hypocrisy — Intending all the kindness it expresses, and glad to extend its good offices as universally as possible; or without dissimulation, as ανυποκριτος may be rendered; that is, frank and open. Thus, “in this beautiful passage, St. James describes the excellent nature of that temper which is recommended by the Christian religion, and the happy effects which it produces. It is the highest wisdom; it comes from God, and makes those who receive it holy and happy. All the apostles, except Paul, were illiterate men; but, according to their Master’s promise, they had, by the inspiration of the Spirit, a wisdom and eloquence given them, far exceeding what they could have acquired by the deepest erudition. Of the fulfilment of Christ’s promise, the epistle of James is a striking proof. Search all heathen antiquity, and see whether it can produce any sentiments more noble, or more simply and beautifully expressed, than those contained in this chapter, and indeed throughout the whole epistle.” — Macknight.

First Emphasizing its inner quality, pure, as distinguished from its outward expressions. The idea is not first numerically, but first essentially. The other qualities are secondary as outgrowths of this primary quality. Gentle (ἐπιεικής) See on 1 Peter 2:18. Easy to be intreated (εὐπειθής) Only here in New Testament. Without partiality (ἀδιάκριτος) Only here in New Testament and very rare in classical Greek. Rev., without variance or doubting. See on James 1:6.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of {d} mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (d) He sets mercy against the fierce and cruel nature of man, and shows that heavenly wisdom brings forth good fruits, for he that is heavenly wise, refers all things to God's glory, and the profit of his neighbours.

Jam 3:17 . Πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν , first of all is pure ) Pure from earthly, animal, and devilish defilements. He here anticipates, as it were. Being about to commend peace , he first removes that unholy peace with the world, which collects together and cements in one indiscriminate mass everything that comes in its way: Jam 1:27 , at the end, and Jam 4:4 throughout. Thus also, cleanse your hands , etc.: Jam 4:8 ; 1 Peter 1:22 .—( μὲν , indeed ) in Jam 3:18 , δὲ , but , follows.— εἰρηνικὴ , peaceable ) The whole; the parts follow.— ἐπιεικὴς ) gentle (indulgent), lenient, not harsh in cases where the question is as to the duties of a neighbour (the duties which a neighbour owes to us).— εὐπειθὴς ) tractable , easy, not morose, where the question is as to the fault of a neighbour.— μεστὴ ἐλεόυς , full of mercy ) where the question is as to the misery of a neighbour.— καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν , of good fruits ) There follow two more distinguished fruits, and worthy of special commendation to those whom he addresses: not judging and without pretence .— ἀδιάκριτος , not judging ) It does not make a difference (discrimination or distinction) where it is not necessary; for instance, between the great and the humble. Hesychius ἀδιάφορον , ἀδιάκριτον . It embraces all things which are good and just: it rejects all things which are evil.

17. first pure—literally, "chaste," "sanctified": pure from all that is "earthly, sensual (animal), devilish" (Jas 3:15). This is put, "first of all," before "peaceable" because there is an unholy peace with the world which makes no distinction between clean and unclean. Compare "undefiled" and "unspotted from the world," Jas 1:27; 4:4, 8, "purify … hearts"; 1Pe 1:22, "purified … souls" (the same Greek). Ministers must not preach before a purifying change of heart, "Peace," where there is no peace. Seven (the perfect number) characteristic peculiarities of true wisdom are enumerated. Purity or sanctity is put first because it has respect both to God and to ourselves; the six that follow regard our fellow men. Our first concern is to have in ourselves sanctity; our second, to be at peace with men. gentle—"forbearing"; making allowances for others; lenient towards neighbors, as to the DUTIES they owe us. easy to be entreated—literally, "easily persuaded," tractable; not harsh as to a neighbor's FAULTS. full of mercy—as to a neighbor's MISERIES. good fruits—contrasted with "every evil work," Jas 3:16. without partiality—recurring to the warning against partial "respect to persons," Jas 2:1, 4, 9. Alford translates as the Greek is translated, Jas 1:6, "wavering," "without doubting." But thus there would be an epithet referring to one's self inserted amidst those referring to one's conduct towards others.

English Version is therefore better. without hypocrisy—Not as Alford explains from Jas 1:22, 26, "Without deceiving yourselves" with the name without the reality of religion. For it must refer, like the rest of the six epithets, to our relations to others; our peaceableness and mercy towards others must be "without dissimulation."

But the wisdom that is from above; true wisdom, which is of God, opposed to that which descendeth not from above, Jam 3:15 . Is first pure; either excluding mixture, and then it is opposed to hypocritical; or rather excluding filthiness, and then it is opposed to sensual, Jam 3:15 , and implies freedom from the defilement of sin and error, it being the property of true wisdom to make men adhere both to truth and holiness. Then peaceable; disposeth men to peace, both as to the making and keeping it, in opposition to strife and contention, which is the fruit of the earthly wisdom. Peaceableness, which relates to man, is set after purity, which respects God in the first place, to intimate, that purity must have the preference to peace. Our peace with men must always be with a salvo to our respects to God and holiness. Gentle; or equal, or moderate, Philippians 4:5 1 Timothy 3:3 Titus 3:2 . It implies that gentleness (as we translate it) whereby we bear with others’ infirmities, forgive injuries, interpret all things for the best, recede from our own right for peace sake; and is opposed to that austerity and rigidness in our practices and censures, which will bear with nothing in weak, dissenting, or offending brethren. Easy to be entreated; easily persuadable. True wisdom makes men yield to good admonitions, good counsel, good reason. This is opposed to implacableness, Romans 1:31 ; pride, and obstinacy in evil, Proverbs 12:1 13:1 .

Full of mercy; a grace whereby we pity others that are afflicted, or that offend, and is opposed to inhumanity and inexorableness. And good fruits; beneficence, liberality, and all other offices of humanity, which proceed from mercy. Without partiality; or, without judging, i.e. either a curious inquiring into the faults of others, to find matter for censures, which many times infers wrangling, as our margin renders it; or a discerning between person and person, upon carnal accounts, which is partiality, as it is here translated, and Jam 2:4 . And without hypocrisy; or, counterfeiting, as they do that judge others, being guilty of the same things, or as bad, themselves: or hypocrisy may be here added, to show that sincerity is the perfection of all the rest before named; purity, peace, and gentleness, &c., may be counterfeit; hypocrisy spoils all; and therefore the wisdom that is from above is sincere, and without hypocrisy.

Verse 17. - The wisdom which is from above ; ἡ ἄνωθεν σοφία , equivalent to חכמה עליוגה - an expression not unknown among rabbinical writers (see Schöttgen, 'Horae Hebraicae,' vol. 1. p. 1026). First pure, then peaceable. "The sequence is that of thought, not of time" (Plumptre). Purity must be secured, even at the expense of peace. Gentle, and easy to be entreated ( ἐπιεκὴς εὐπειθής ). The former of these two terms signifies "forbearing under provocation" (cf. 1 Timothy 3:3 ; Titus 3:2 ; 1 Peter 2:18 ); the latter is found only here. Vulgate, snadibilis ; Syriac, "obedient;" R.V. as A.V., "easy to be entreated," i.e. ready to forgive. Thus the conjunction of the two terms ἐπιεικής and εὐπειθής reminds us of the Jewish saying in 'Pirqe Aboth,' 5:17, describing four characters in dispositions, in which the man who is "hard to provoke and easily pacified" is set down as pious. Without partiality ( ἀδιάκριτος ); here only in the New Testament. The word is used in the LXX. in Proverbs 25:1 ; and by Ignatius ( Ephesians 3 ; Magn. 15; Trall. 1), but none of these passages throw light on its meaning. It may be either (1) without variance, or (2) without doubtfulness, or (3) without partiality; probably (1) as R.V. text. Without hypocrisy ; ἀνυπόκριτος applied to πιστίς in 1 Timothy 1:5 ; 2 Timothy 1:5 ; to ἀγαπή in Romans 12:9 ; 2 Corinthians 6:6 ; and to φιλαδελφία in 1 Peter 1:22 . James 3:17

(17) But the wisdom that is from above . . . —Whereas, in sweetest contrast to all this repulsive foulness and riot, the true wisdom from above is first pure, chaste as the Lamb of God, “the Word made flesh” ( John 1:14 ), then peaceful, gentle, and compliant —easy to be won, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, not double-minded ( non duplex ) , nor hypocritical. Compare with this beautiful description St. Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” ( Galatians 5:22 ), and his discourse on Love (1 Corinthians 13). Truly this wisdom “cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof;” “Happy is the man that findeth her.” (Read Job 28:14-19, and Proverbs 3:13-18.)