James 1:26

“If any man among you seem to be religious, etc.] By his preaching, or praying, and hearing, and other external duties of religion, he is constant in the observance of; and who, upon the account of these things, “thinks himself to be a religious man”, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it; or is thought to be so by others: and bridleth not his tongue; but boasts of his works, and speaks ill of his brethren; backbites them, and hurts their names and characters, by private insinuations, and public charges without any foundation; who takes no care of what he says, but gives his tongue a liberty of speaking anything, to the injury of others, and the dishonour of God, and his…”

“An example of doing work. religious . . . religion--The Greek expresses the external service or exercise of religion, "godliness" being the internal soul of it. "If any man think himself to be (so the Greek) religious, that is, observant of the offices of religion, let him know these consist not so much in outward observances, as in such acts of mercy and humble piety (Mic 6:7-8) as visiting the fatherless, &c., and keeping one's self unspotted from the world" (Mat 23:23). James does not mean that these offices are the great essentials, or sum total of religion; but that, whereas the law service was merely ceremonial, the very services of the Gospel consist in acts of mercy and holiness, and…”

“If any man among you seem to be religious - Pious, or devout. That is, if he does not restrain his tongue, his other evidences of religion are worthless. A man may undoubtedly have many things in his character which seem to be evidences of the existence of religion in his heart, and yet there may be some one thing that shall show that all those evidences are false. Religion is designed to produce an effect on our whole conduct; and if there is any one thing in reference to which it does not bring us under its control, that one thing may show that all other appearances of piety are worthless. And bridleth not his tongue - Restrains or curbs it not, as a horse is restrained with a bridle.…”

“If any one be ever so religious - Exact in the outward offices of religion. And bridleth not his tongue - From backbiting, talebearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all. James 1:27”

“1:26-27 control (literally bridle) your tongue: James uses the graphic image of the bridle in a horse’s mouth to say that people’s ability to control their tongue indicates the condition of their heart and the whole direction of their life (cp. 3:1-13). • Orphans and widows were the most helpless members of ancient society. They were dependent upon the care of others, since the husband and father was the means of economic support and social contact (Exod 22:22-24; Deut 10:18). Christians are called to take care of the helpless (cp. 1 Tim 5:3-16). • In James, the world stands in opposition to God (cp. Jas 3:15; 4:4; Rom 12:2; 1 Jn 2:15-17).”

“seem: Pro 14:12, Pro 16:25; Luk 8:18; Co1 3:18; Gal 2:6, Gal 2:9, Gal 6:3 bridleth: Jam 1:19, Jam 3:2-6; Psa 32:9, Psa 34:13, Psa 39:1, Psa 39:2, Psa 141:3; Pro 10:19, Pro 10:31, Pro 13:2, Pro 13:3, Pro 15:2; Pro 16:10, Pro 19:1, Pro 21:26; Eph 4:29, Eph 5:4; Col 4:6; Pe1 3:10 but: Jam 1:22; Deu 11:16; Isa 44:20; Gal 6:3 this: Jam 2:20; Isa 1:13; Mal 3:14; Mat 15:9; Mar 7:7; Co1 15:2, Co1 15:15; Gal 3:4 James 1:27”