James 3:9

κύριον with אABCP, Old Latin and other versions; KL and a majority of later authorities have θεόν. But it is more probable that θεὸν should have been substituted for κύριον, than that the reverse should have happened.

9. ἐν αὐτῇ. The instrumental use of ἐν in N. T. is generally to be attributed to a Hebraism, introduced from the LXX., or due to the writer’s familiarity with the Semitic idiom: e.g. εἰ πατάξομεν ἐν μαχαίρῃ; Luke 22:49 : ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς ἐν τῷ στόματί σου, Romans 10:9 : ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ, Revelation 6:8. But in many instances this use of ἐν may be explained on classical principles: comp. ἐν τίνι�; (in what, &c.) Matthew 5:13, and ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρης� (in slaughter of the sword) Hebrews 11:37, with δῆσαι ἐν πέδαις Xen. An. IV. 3. 8, καθικόμενον ἐν τῇ ῥάβδῳ Lucian Dial. Mort. 23. 3. See Winer 485, and specially Dr Moulton’s note 3.

τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα. κύριον has here the O.T. sense of Jehovah. The collocation is unusual. God is regarded in His power and in His love (Beyschlag).

τοὺς�ʼ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας Comp. ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν, Genesis 1:26. This designation conveys the gravity of the sin of cursing; it is a sin against God Himself. “Remanet nobilitas” Bengel; the image of God is not lost even through sin.

εὐλογοῦμεν … καταρώμεθα. Comp. Philo de Decal. p. 196 οὐ γὰρ ὅσιον διʼ οὗ στόματος τὸ ἱερώτατον ὄνομα προφέρεται διὰ τούτον φθέγγεσθαί τι τῶν αἰσχορῶν.