Verse 19
James’ readers already knew what he had just reminded them of in the preceding verses (James 1:17-18; cf. Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 17:27-28; Proverbs 29:11; Proverbs 29:20; Ecclesiastes 7:9). Nevertheless they needed to act in harmony with this knowledge.
"He [James] drives home the teaching about our death-bound, sinful nature with the cry Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren (16); he drives home the teaching about the new birth with the cry Know this, my beloved brethren (19a)." [Note: Motyer, p. 61.]
We may respond to trials by complaining about them and becoming angry over them. James advised his readers to remain silent and calm and to listen submissively to the Word of God (James 1:23).
"It is possible to be unfailingly regular in Bible reading, but to achieve no more than to have moved the book-mark forward: this is reading unrelated to an attentive spirit." [Note: Ibid., p. 65.]
Many people have observed that we have two ears and one mouth, which ought to remind us to listen twice as much as we speak (cf. Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 17:27). Apparently Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, is the oldest known source of this observation. [Note: Martin, p. 54.]
"Ceaseless talkers may easily degenerate into fierce controversialists." [Note: Alexander Ross, The Epistles of James and John, p. 38.]
"The great talker is rarely a great listener, and never is the ear more firmly closed than when anger takes over." [Note: Motyer, p. 65.]
"The tribute was once paid to a great linguist that he could be silent in seven different languages." [Note: Barclay, The Letters . . ., p. 65.]
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