Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
first pure—literally, "chaste," "sanctified": pure from all that is "earthly, sensual (animal), devilish" (James 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," James 1:27; James 4:4, James 4:8, "purify . . . hearts"; I Peter 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," James 3:16.
without partiality—recurring to the warning against partial "respect to persons," James 2:1, James 2:4, James 2:9. ALFORD translates as the Greek is translated, James 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 James 1:22, James 1:26, "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."
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing James 3:17:
Proverbs 12:15
Ecclesiastes 8:1
1 Corinthians 13:4
1 Corinthians 13:7
1 Timothy 4:12
James 3:16
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