James 3:1

New Catholic Bible

Footnotes

1. James 3:1 What is more beautiful and what more ugly than the tongue? All the wisdoms of the world repeat it, and the sages of the Old Testament more than once issued denunciations against inconsiderate words (see Prov 10:9; 13:3; 15:1-4; 18:21; 21:23; Sir 5:11—6:1). Christ had spoken of the evil that comes forth from the mouth of man (see Mk 7:21-23). There is a kind of passionate outburst of words that disfigures society; with a word one can disrupt an assembly, with a lie break a friendship or unleash a rivalry—in short, destroy the world’s harmony. We might say that an infernal power is at work; “Gehenna” was the cursed spot around Jerusalem that became a symbol for hell. The author is speaking especially to those who have the responsibility to teach in the assemblies. What a perversion it is to announce God’s praise yet do harm to one’s neighbor.