SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:11
¶ Hermanos, no murmuris los unos de los otros; el que murmura del hermano, y juzga a su hermano, este tal murmura de la Ley, y juzga a la Ley; y si t juzgas a la Ley, no eres guardador de la Ley, sino juez.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 4:11
Verse 11. Speak not evil one of another] Perhaps this exhortation refers to evil speaking, slander, and backbiting in general, the writer having no particular persons in view. It may, however, refer to the contentions among the zealots, and different factions then prevailing among this wretched people, or to their calumnies against those of their brethren who had embraced the Christian faith. He that speaketh evil of his brother] It was an avowed and very general maxim among the rabbins, that "no one could speak evil of his brother without denying God, and becoming an atheist." They consider detraction as the devil's crime originally: he calumniated God Almighty in the words, "He doth know that in the day in which ye eat of it, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be like God, knowing good and evil;" and therefore insinuated that it was through envy God had prohibited the tree of knowledge.
Speaketh evil of the law] The law condemns all evil speaking and detraction. He who is guilty of these, and allows himself in these vices, in effect judges and condemns the law; i.e. he considers it unworthy to be kept, and that it is no sin to break it.
Thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.] Thou rejectest the law of God, and settest up thy own mischievous conduct as a rule of life; or, by allowing this evil speaking and detraction, dost intimate that the law that condemns them is improper, imperfect, or unjust.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren , etc.] The apostle here returns to his former subject, concerning the vices of the tongue, he had been upon in the preceding chapter, ( James 3:6-10), and here mentions one, which professors of religion were too much guilty of, and that is, speaking evil one of another; which is done either by raising false reports, and bringing false charges; or by aggravating failings and infirmities; or by lessening and depreciating characters, and endeavouring to bring others into discredit and disesteem among men: this is a very great evil, and what the men of the world do, and from them it is expected; but for the saints to speak evil one of another, to sit and speak against a brother, and slander an own mother's son, is barbarous and unnatural. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law ; he that is a talebearer and backbites his brother, his fellow member, and detracts from his good name and character, and takes upon him to judge his heart, and his state, as well as, to condemn his actions, he speaks evil of the law; and judges and condemns that, as if that forbid a thing that was lawful, even tale bearing and detraction, ( Leviticus 19:16), or by speaking evil of him for a good thing he does, he blames and condemns the law, as though it commanded a thing that was evil; and by passing sentence upon his brother, he takes upon him the province of the law, which is to accuse, charge, convince, pronounce guilty, and condemn: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law ; as is a duty, and would best become: but a judge ; and so such a person not only infringes the right of the law, but assumes the place of the Judge and lawgiver himself; whereas, as follows, Ver. 12. There is one lawgiver , etc.] The Alexandrian copy, and others, and the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Vulgate Latin versions, add, and judge.
Who is the one only Lord God, ( Isaiah 33:22). This is a character that may be applied to God the Father, who gave the law to the people of Israel, both the judicial and ceremonial law, and also the moral law; from his right hand went a fiery law, and to him belongs the giving of it; and also to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus who is King of saints, and lawgiver in his house; who has given out commandments to be observed, and laws of discipline for the right ordering of his house, and kingdom, to be regarded; and particularly the new commandment of love, which is eminently called the law of Christ; and which is most apparently broke, by detraction and speaking evil one of another: now there may be inferior and subordinate lawgivers, as Judah is said to be God's lawgiver, and Moses is said to command the Jews a law; yet there is but one supreme, universal, and perfect lawgiver, who is God; and though there may be many lawgivers in things political, whose legislative power is to be obeyed, both for the Lord's sake, and for conscience sake; yet in things religious, and relating to conscience, God is the only lawgiver, who is to be hearkened unto: who is able to save , and to destroy; this is true of God the Father, who is able to save, and does save by his Son Jesus Christ, and even persons that have broken the law he has given, and are liable to the curse and condemnation of it; and he is able to save them according to that law, in perfect consistence with it, and with his justice and holiness, since Christ, by whom he saves, was made under it, and has fulfilled it; and that Christ is mighty to save, able to save to the uttermost, is certain from the Scripture, and all experience; and God, the lawgiver, is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, for the transgressions of his law; and even Christ the Lamb is also the lion of the tribe of Judah, who will break his enemies in pieces, as a potter's vessel, and punish the contemners of his Gospel with everlasting destruction, from his presence and glory: in a word, God, the lawgiver, is sovereign, and can destroy, or save, whom he pleases; he is able to save the brother that is spoken against, and to destroy him that speaks against him: who art thou that judgest another ? another man's servant, as in ( Romans 14:4) or thy neighbour, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; or the neighbour, as the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin version; that is, any brother, friend, or neighbour, in the manner as before observed in the preceding verse.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-17 - Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth an justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; le us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. "God to now," is a call to any one to consider his conduct a being wrong. How apt worldly and contriving men are to leave God out of their plans! How vain it is to look for any thing good without God' blessing and guidance! The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all project for futurity. We can fix the hour and minute of the sun's rising an setting to-morrow, but we cannot fix the certain time of a vapour being scattered. So short, unreal, and fading is human life, and all the prosperity or enjoyment that attends it; though bliss or woe for eve must be according to our conduct during this fleeting moment. We ar always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our ow hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with care and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, an all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God. It is foolish and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end Omissions are sins which will be brought into judgment, as well a commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as wel as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned Oh that we were as careful not to omit prayer, and not to neglect to meditate and examine our consciences, as we are not to commit gros outward vices against light __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
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