17 every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
John answered and said, `A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven;
if, therefore, ye being evil, have known good gifts to give to your children, how much more shall your Father who `is' in the heavens give good things to those asking him?
God `is' not a man -- and lieth, And a son of man -- and repenteth! Hath He said -- and doth He not do `it'? And spoken -- and doth He not confirm it?
and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --
For I `am' Jehovah, I have not changed, And ye, the sons of Jacob, Ye have not been consumed.
for who doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received?
For a sun and a shield `is' Jehovah God, Grace and honour doth Jehovah give. He withholdeth not good To those walking in uprightness.
If, then, ye, being evil, have known good gifts to be giving to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those asking Him!'
and I fill him `with' the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work, to devise devices to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in graving of stone for settings, and in graving of wood to work in all work. `And I, lo, I have given with him Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and in the heart of every wise-hearted one I have given wisdom, and they have made all that which I have commanded thee.
these shall perish, and Thou dost remain, and all, as a garment, shall become old, and as a mantle Thou shall roll them together, and they shall be changed, and Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.'
for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift,
And He is changing times and seasons, He is causing kings to pass away, and He is raising up kings; He is giving wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those possessing understanding. He is revealing deep and hidden things; He hath known what `is' in darkness, and light with Him hath dwelt.
For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.
the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness `is' on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters, and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is. And God seeth the light that `it is' good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness, and God calleth to the light `Day,' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day one.
and night shall not be there, and they have no need of a lamp and light of a sun, because the Lord God doth give them light, and they shall reign -- to the ages of the ages.
in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins.
for we were once -- also we -- thoughtless, disobedient, led astray, serving desires and pleasures manifold, in malice and envy living, odious -- hating one another; and when the kindness and the love to men of God our Saviour did appear (not by works that `are' in righteousness that we did but according to His kindness,) He did save us, through a bathing of regeneration, and a renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Daniel hath answered before the king and said, `The secret that the king is asking, the wise men, the enchanters, the scribes, the soothsayers, are not able to shew to the king; but there is a God in the heavens, a revealer of secrets, and He hath made known to king Nebuchadnezzar that which `is' to be in the latter end of the days. `Thy dream and the visions of thy head on thy bed are these: Thou, O king, thy thoughts on thy bed have come up `concerning' that which `is' to be after this, and the Revealer of secrets hath caused thee to know that which `is' to be. As to me -- not for `any' wisdom that is in me above any living hath this secret been revealed to me; but for the intent that the interpretation to the king they make known, and the thoughts of thy heart thou dost know.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. The heavens `are' recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse `is' declaring. Day to day uttereth speech, And night to night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard. Into all the earth hath their line gone forth, And to the end of the world their sayings, For the sun He placed a tent in them, And he, as a bridegroom, goeth out from his covering, He rejoiceth as a mighty one To run the path. From the end of the heavens `is' his going out, And his revolution `is' unto their ends, And nothing is hid from his heat. The law of Jehovah `is' perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of Jehovah `are' stedfast, Making wise the simple, The precepts of Jehovah `are' upright, Rejoicing the heart, The command of Jehovah `is' pure, enlightening the eyes,
and to Solomon my son give a perfect heart, to keep Thy commands, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do the whole, even to build the palace `for' which I have prepared.'
and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He `is' not a man to be penitent.'
`And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
and Joseph answereth Pharaoh, saying, `Without me -- God doth answer Pharaoh with peace.'
And God saith, `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years, and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on James 1
Commentary on James 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The General Epistle of James
Chapter 1
After the inscription and salutation (v. 1) Christians are taught how to conduct themselves when under the cross. Several graces and duties are recommended; and those who endure their trials and afflictions as the apostle here directs are pronounced blessed and are assured of a glorious reward (v. 2-12). But those sins which bring sufferings, or the weakness and faults men are chargeable with under them, are by no means to be imputed to God, who cannot be the author of sin, but is the author of all good (v. 13-18). All passion, and rash anger, and vile affections, ought to be suppressed. The word of God should be made our chief study: and what we hear and know of it we must take care to practise, otherwise our religion will prove but a vain thing. To this is added an account wherein pure religion consists (v. 19-27).
Jam 1:1
We have here the inscription of this epistle, which consists of three principal parts.
Jam 1:2-12
We now come to consider the matter of this epistle. In this paragraph we have the following things to be observed:-
Jam 1:13-18
Jam 1:19-27
In this part of the chapter we are required,