James 3:9
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →With the same tongue we bless God and curse people made in God's likeness.
What Does James 3:9 Mean?
James exposes the tongue's deep inconsistency. With it we bless God the Father, and with the same tongue we curse people, who are made in the likeness of God. The mouth that praises the Creator turns to wound those who bear His image.
The contradiction is sharpened by the reminder that human beings are made after God's likeness. To curse a person is to dishonor the One whose image that person carries. Praise of God and contempt for His image-bearers cannot honestly live in the same mouth. James holds up this double use of the tongue so the reader will feel its wrongness. To bless God truly is to honor those He has made, for the love of the Creator and the neighbor cannot be divided.
In the Original Language
homoiosis (ὁμοίωσις), 'similitude' -- likeness or resemblance, here humanity made in the likeness of God.