In this chapter the apostle dissuades from a respect of persons, on account of outward circumstances; shows that the law is to be fulfilled, and that mercy is to be exercised, as well as justice done; and exposes the folly of such who boast of faith without works: he dissuades the saints from all…

My brethren As the apostle is about to dissuade from the evil of having respect to persons, this is a very fit introduction to it, and carries in it an argument why it should not obtain; since the saints are all brethren, they are children of the same Father, belong to the same family, and are all…

For if there come unto your assembly The place of religious worship where saints are assembled together for that purpose; though some think a civil court of judicature is intended, and to which the context seems to incline; see a man with a gold ring; on his finger, which shows him to be a man of…

And ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing Take notice of him, and show favour to him, to the neglect and contempt of the other. This is an instance of respect of persons condemned and dissuaded from: and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place; the best place; whether it be in a…

Are ye not then partial in yourselves That is, guilty of such partiality as must appear to yourselves, and your own consciences must accuse you of; or do not ye distinguish, or make a difference among yourselves, by such a conduct, towards the rich and the poor: and are become judges of evil…

Hearken, my beloved brethren As to a matter of importance, and worthy of attention and regard; being an instance of the divine conduct towards the poor, and carries in it a strong argument against respect of persons: hath not God chosen the poor of this world? this interrogative is equal to a…

But ye have despised the poor Or dishonoured, and reproached them, by showing respect of persons, in preferring the rich to them, and in distinguishing them in such a manner as was to their contempt and injury; which is a reproaching not only of them, but their Maker; and is in effect saying, that…

Do they not blaspheme that worthy name Of Christ, or Christians; by the which ye are called? and which, as before, may design either unbelieving rich men, whether among Jews, or Gentiles, who blasphemed and cursed the name of Christ, and compelled others to do so likewise; or such who professed the…

If ye fulfil the royal law Which is the law of love to men, without distinction of rich and poor, high and low, bond and free; and is so called, because it is the law of the King of kings; hence the Syriac version renders it, “the law of God”, it is the law of Christ, who is King of saints; and…

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, &c] This is not doing well, but is a transgression of the law, as every sin is; hence it follows, and are convinced of the law as transgressors; which carries on a formal process against such persons; it accuses them of sin, and charges them with…

For whosoever shall keep the whole law Or the greatest part of it, excepting only in one point, as follows: Adam, in a state of innocence, was able to keep the whole law, but by sin he lost that power, nor can any of his posterity now keep it perfectly: they are all transgressors of it, and liable…

For he that said, Do not commit adultery That same lawgiver, who is but one, and is God, that gave out the seventh command, and forbids adultery, said also, Do not kill; delivered the sixth command, which forbids murder.

So speak ye, and so do Both words and actions should be taken care of; it becomes men to observe what they say, and what they do; for both sinful words and works are transgressions of the law, and will be brought to judgment; every idle word, as well as every evil work, both open and secret, men…

For he shall have judgment without mercy Strict justice, and no mercy shown him: that hath showed no mercy; to the poor brethren, and distressed members of Christ, but has shown respect of persons to the hurt of the poor, and has despised and oppressed them, instead of relieving and comforting…

What doth it profit, my brethren The apostle having finished his discourse on respect of persons, and the arguments he used to dissuade from it, by an easy transition passes to treat upon faith and works, showing that faith without works, particularly without works of mercy, is of no profit and…

If a brother or sister A Christian man or woman, a fellow member of a church of Christ; for this relation is to be understood in a spiritual sense, though it does not exclude such who are in this relation in a natural sense: be naked; or clothed in rags, or in very mean and sordid apparel, such as…

And one of you say unto them That is, one of the same faith, and in the same communion and church fellowship. Depart in peace; wishing them all prosperity and happiness, inward and outward: be ye warmed and filled; clothed and fed; signifying, that they wished them all the accommodations of life:…

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ] It is like a lifeless carcass, a body without a soul, for as works, without faith, are dead works, so faith, without works, is a dead faith, and not like the lively hope and faith of regenerated persons: and indeed, such who have no other…

Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works That is, a true believer in Christ may very justly call upon a vain boaster of his faith, who has no works, to give proof and evidence of it, and address him after this manner; you say you have faith, be it so that you have; I have works, you…

Thou believest that there is one God These words are a continuation of the address of the man that has works, to him that boasts of his faith without them, observing to him, that one, and a main article of his faith, is, that there is one God; which is to be understood in the Christian sense, since…

But wilt thou know, O vain man These are the words of the apostle reassuming the argument, that faith without works is dead, useless, and unprofitable; and the man that boasts of his faith, and has no works to show it, he calls a “vain man”, an empty one, sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal;…

Was not Abraham our father justified by works Not as the causes of his justification, that is denied, but as effects of it, showing the truth of his faith, and the reality of his justification: he had both faith and works, and the former were known by the latter; and even the faith which he had…

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works Not to justify him before God; for neither faith nor works are ever said in Scripture to justify any man; but his faith being of the right kind, a faith which works by love, it put him upon doing this work, and many others; for this was done in faith, as…

And the Scripture was fulfilled which speaks of Abraham’s faith, and the imputation of to him for righteousness; for the above action of Abraham, in offering up his son, was a clear proof of the truth of his faith, there commended: by this it was made known what a strong faith he had in God, and…

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified Not as causes procuring his justification, but as effects declaring it; for the best works are imperfect, and cannot be a righteousness justifying in the sight of God, and are unprofitable in this respect; for when they are performed in the best…

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot (See Gill on Heb. 11:31) justified by works; this woman was an instance of the grace of God in calling the chief of sinners, and was a true believer; and what she did, she did in faith, and her faith was shown by her works to be true and genuine; and it was…

For as the body without the spirit is dead This simile is made use of to illustrate what the apostle had asserted in (James 2:17, James 2:20) that as a body, when the spirit or soul is departed from it, or the breath is gone out of it, is dead, and without motion, and useless; which the Jews [[3]]…