At first glance James 1:19-20 appears to be a series of isolated exhortations and in Scripture memory exercises that is how these verse are often interpreted. However (as I have been guilty of on numerous occasions), to quote these passages in isolation is to "yank" them from their context. To take passages out of context sets the stage for misinterpretation, sometimes only slight misinterpretation, but occasionally resulting in grossly distorted interpretations (the cults specialize in this latter degree of misinterpretation as they are experts at taking a text out of context and using the resulting distortion of truth to deceive and dupe their victims!). The context of James 1:19-20 includes the previous passages...

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. (James 1:16-18)

From these verses, one observes that James is clearly describing persons who have listened to or heard and received the word of truth and have been born again and become "as it were, the first fruits among His creatures". Observe also that James 1:21 is again referring to the Word of God and what must be done in order to receive it. Finally, in James 1:22, 23, 24, 25 teaches what the hearer of the Word must "do" with the Word once received in order for it to be an effective agent of transformation in one's life. Notice then that the verses preceding and following James 1:18-19 refer to the Word of God. Therefore it is only reasonable to interpret James 1:18-19 as referring to one's reaction/attitude toward the Word of God. Thus in order to maximize one's reception of the Word of God one needs to listen ("quick to hear"), restrain speaking (it is very difficult to hear God speaking if we are speaking) and refrain from anger.

This you know (1492) (present imperative second person plural of oida)- This verb is most likely a command which could be phrased "Know this!" (ESV) Understand (Amplified). Take note of this (NIV). The idea would be something like "Come to an understanding of this." James is saying that in view of the fact that they are now new creatures in Christ ("first fruits, v18), there are some truths that they need to know and he begins to elaborate what they are.

Notice that the KJV begins with "Wherefore" which is absent from the NAS (et al) rendering and most authorities agree that the Textus Receptus manuscript is less accurate than the modern manuscripts from which NAS, NIV, ESV, Amplified, etc are translated.

James 1:19-21 refer primarily to listening to and receiving the Word, while James 1:22-25 emphasize primarily the doing of the Word.

Charles H. Talbert introduces James 1:19-25 reminding us that in the book of Acts Christianity was often referred to as The Way ( (Acts 9:1, 2; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22) and...

What early Christian teachers like James aimed to do was to clarify the Way and to encourage a certain Walk. James 1:19-27 is a Travelers’ Advisory, advice from an early Christian teacher to travelers on their Christian walk. (Review and Expositor: James: Teaching Outlines and Selected Sermon Seeds)

Brethren (80) (adelphos from collative a = denoting unity + delphús = womb) is literally one born from same womb and so a male having the same father and mother as reference person. Figuratively, adelphos as in this verse refers to a close associate of a group of persons having well-defined membership, specifically here referring to fellow believers (both brothers and sisters!) in Christ who are united by the cords of love and bond of affection.

But (1161)  (de) is a word of contrast. In the present context it is used more in the sense of introducing an explanation, reminding them what they should know.

Everyone (pas anthropos) is literally "all men" or "all mankind".

Must be (2077) (second person singular present tense; active voice; imperative mood of eimi - 1510) is a command to be and in the present tense means you must continually be. James is calling for this to be the habitual practice of everyone who reads the Word of Truth (to be quick to hear, etc).

Quick (5036) (tachus) is an adverb which literally means quick, swift, speedy as opposed to slow. The emphasis is on a very brief period of time so that an activity or event occurs with speed or swiftness.

To hear (191) (akouo) means to exercise ones faculty of hearing and can convey the sense of not just listening/hearing but of understanding that which has been heard (eg, 1Co 14:2, Ga 4:21). In some contexts, akouo conveys the sense of to pay careful attention to or to heed (Mt 17:5, Lk 9:35, Acts 3:22).

Steven Cole sees several "marks" of the heart which is receptive to the Word of truth observing that James'...

first mark of a heart that is receptive to God’s word is that it is quick to hear the word. Jesus told the Jews who disputed with Him (John 8:47),

“He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

Obviously, these Jews heard the sound of the words that Jesus spoke. They were not deaf. But they did not (and could not, according to Jesus) understand them (John 8:43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word."), because they were not born of God. They lacked the ability to hear and understand spiritual truth. As Paul said (1Cor 2:14),

But a natural man does not accept ( = same verb used in ) the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

To be quick to hear God’s word implies an attitude of eagerness to take in the word from every angle. As a believer, you should desire to read the word, to listen to biblical preaching of the word, to memorize the word, and to understand all of its teaching with a view to obedience. The centerpiece of the Bible is Psalm 119, which goes on for 176 verses extolling God’s word and expressing the psalmist’s delight in it. We see his eagerness when he says (Ps 119:131), “I opened my mouth wide and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.” In Psalm 19:10, David said regarding God’s commandments, “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”

The apostle Peter says (1Pe 2:2-note), “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ….” That verse became very vivid to me when as a new father, I made the mistake of holding my newborn daughter with my shirt off. To her, any nipple looked like the source of milk, so she latched onto me with a vengeance! I never made that mistake again!

Evaluate your heart for God’s word. Do you delight in it? Do you long for it and pour over it as a young woman longs for and pours over a love letter from her fiancé who is in another country? What is your attitude when you go to hear the word preached? The Welsh preacher Rowland Hill (1744-1833), as an old man, was visiting with a longtime friend who said, “It is now 65 years since I first heard you preach. I still remember your text and a part of your sermon.” Hill asked, “What part of the sermon do you remember?”

The friend answered, “You said that some people, when they went to hear a sermon, were very squeamish about the delivery of the preacher. Then you said, ‘Supposing you went to hear the will of one of your relatives read, and you were expecting a legacy from him. You would hardly think of criticizing the manner in which the lawyer read the will, but you would be all attention to hear whether anything was left to you, and if so, how much. And that is the way to hear the gospel.’” (Adapted from Spurgeon's Lectures to his Students, condensed and edited by David Otis Fuller [Zondervan], p. 374.) A receptive heart opens the ears to God’s word of truth. (Steven Cole - excellent sermons that read much like commentaries - see James 1:19-21 A Receptive Heart)

In Jeremiah, the LORD derides the faithless house of Jacob for failure to even hear much less heed declaring...

Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not; who have ears, but hear not. (Jeremiah 5:21)

Slow (1021) (bradus) means literally to take a relatively long time or not happening in a short time. By implication it means not hasty, not precipitate and so acting (in this case speaking) with deliberation.

Quick to Judge -

“The people upstairs are very annoying,” complained the tenant. “Last night they stomped and banged on the floor until midnight.”

“Did they wake you?” asked the landlord.

“No,” explained the tenant. “Luckily, I was up playing my tuba.” - Dixie Yarns

To speak (2980)  (laleo) means to make a sound and then to utter words.

Instead of opening your mouth to speak when you hear the Word of truth, just open your mouth and pant and long for the Word like the psalmist...

Psalm 119:131 I opened (Lxx = anoigo - see notes on use in Rev 3:20) my mouth wide and panted, (Why did he "pant"?) for I longed for Thy commandments.

The English rendering of the Greek Septuagint translation is...

Psalm 119:131 I opened my mouth, and drew breath: for I earnestly longed (see study of epipotheo; the verb tense is imperfect tense = pictures the psalmist over and over longing) after Thy commandments. (Beloved, does this describe your Christian walk? If not perhaps you might dare to pray this prayer to God, asking Him to give you a desire that pants for and cannot live without His Word of truth and life. When we pray boldly in God's will, we can be assured that He hears us and that He will give us the requests that are in accord with His good and acceptable and perfect will - see 1 John 5:14-15).

Matthew Henry comments on Ps 119:131...

When he was under a forced absence from God's ordinances he longed to be restored to them again; when he enjoyed ordinances he greedily sucked in the word of God, as new-born babes desire the milk. When Christ is formed in the soul there are gracious longings, unaccountable to one that is a stranger to the work.

The degree of that desire appearing in the expressions of it: I opened my mouth and panted, as one overcome with hear, or almost stifled, pants for a mouthful of fresh air. Thus strong, thus earnest, should our desires be towards God and the remembrance of his name, Ps. 42:1, 2. Lk. 12:50.

C H Spurgeon comments on Ps 119:131...

So animated was his desire that he looked into the animal world to find a picture of it. He was filled with an intense longing, and was not ashamed to describe it by a most expressive, natural, and yet singular symbol. Like a stag that has been hunted in the chase, and is hard pressed, and therefore pants for breath, so did the Psalmist pant for the entrance of God's word into his soul. Nothing else could content him. All that the world could yield him left him still panting with open mouth.

For I longed for thy commandments. Longed to know them, longed to obey them, longed to be conformed to their spirit, longed to teach them to others (cp notes on Ezra 7:10). He was a servant of God, and his industrious mind longed to receive orders; he was a learner in the school of grace, and his eager spirit longed to be taught of the Lord.

Panting for holiness. A rare hunger; the evidence of much grace, and the pledge of glory.

Puritan Thomas Manton writes on Ps 119:131...

I opened my mouth, and panted. A metaphor taken from men scorched and sweltered with heat, or from those that have run themselves out of breath in following the thing which they would overtake. The former metaphor expressed the vehemency of his love; the other the earnestness of his pursuit: he was like a man gasping for breath, and sucking in the cool air.

I longed for thy commandments. This is a desire which God will satisfy. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it": Psalms 81:10.

William Cowper comments on Psalm 119:131...

I opened my mouth, and panted. By this manner of speech, David expresses, as Basil thinks, animi propensionem, that the inclination of his soul was after God's word. For, this opened mouth, Ambrose thinks, is os interioris hominis, the mouth of the inward man, which in effect is his heart; and the, speech notes vehementem animi intensionem, a vehement intension of his spirit, saith Euthymius. Yet shall it not be amiss to consider here how the mind of the godly earnestly affected moves the body also. The speech may be drawn from travellers, who being very desirous to attain to their proposed ends, enforce their strength thereunto; and finding a weakness in their body to answer their will, they pant and open their mouth, seeking refreshment from the air to renew their strength: or as Vatablus thinks, from men exceeding hungry and thirsty, who open their mouth as if they would draw in the whole air, and then pant and sigh within themselves when they find no full refreshment by it. So he expresses it: "My heart burns with so ardent a longing for thy commandments, that I am forced ever and anon to gasp by reason of my painful breathing."

However it be, it lets us see how the hearing, reading, or meditating of God's word wakened in David (Ed note: Some think Psalm 119 was written by the scribe Ezra) a most earnest affection to have the light, joy, grace, and comfort thereof communicated to his own heart. For in the godly, knowledge of good increases desires; and it cannot be expressed how vehemently their souls long to feel that power and comfort which they know is in the word; and how sore they are grieved and troubled when they find it not.

And happy were we, if we could meet the Lord with this like affection; that when he opens his mouth, we could also open our heart to hear, as David here doth... For it is His promise to us all -- "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." (see Ps 81:10 - Spurgeon's note) Let us turn it into a prayer, that the Lord, who opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16:14), would open our heart to receive grace when He offers by His word to give it.

Henry Melvill writes on Ps 119:131...

There are two ways in which these words may be understood. They may be considered as expressing the very earnest longing of the Psalmist for greater acquaintance with God in spiritual things; and then in saying, "I opened my mouth, and panted," he merely asserts the vehemence of his desire. Or you may separate the clauses: you may regard the first as the utterance of a man utterly dissatisfied with the earth and earthly things, and the second as the expression of a consciousness that God, and God only, could meet the longings of his soul. "I opened my mouth, and panted. "Out of breath, with chasing shadows, and hunting after baubles, I sit down exhausted, as far off as ever from the happiness which has been earnestly but fruitlessly sought. Whither, then, shall I turn? Thy commandments, O Lord, and these alone, can satisfy the desires of an immortal being like myself; and on these, therefore, henceforward shall my longings be turned.

Ross writes that...

Ceaseless talkers may easily degenerate into fierce controversialists

Anger (3709) (orge from orgaô = to teem, to swell) conveys the picture of a swelling which eventually bursts, and thus describes an anger that proceeds from one’s settled nature.  Orge refers to to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders. What a contrast in heart attitudes between a seething, teeming anger and a heart that pants for the water brooks, desiring to meditate on the Word night and day, taking in the pure milk of the Word like a new born babe does its mother's milk.

If we have an argumentative attitude when we hear God's truth, we are not likely to retain what truth we do hear and then even less likely to be effected by it "for the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God."

Epp has the following devotional on James 1:19-21...

James wanted all believers to be alert to comprehend the Word of God. This is very important since "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Ro 10:17 -note). The Word of God gives us faith to believe, and when we believe, God creates new life within us.

Many people hear the Word of God, but to some of them it is only words; they do not accept it as the Word of God. What a paradox it is that all creation obeys His Word except we who are made in the image of God and have the ability to choose.

Many people have an extensive knowledge of the Word of God, but they do not really believe what it says, so they do not respond to it as His Word.

We should not be quick to retort when someone has spoken against us. To be quick with an answer can sometimes get us into much trouble.

Consider what the Word of God has to say about these matters.

Proverbs 29:20 says, "Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him."

Proverbs 10:19 says, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise."

A rule that should govern our lives is stated in Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

"The soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. He that keepth his mouth keepeth his life" (Pr 13:2,3).

><>><>><>

For (1063) (gar) in many passages introduces an explanation and thus it for is always important to take note of and to ask "What is the "for" there for?" In this case the answer is relatively straightforward, the for serving to introduce the reason for the exhortation on anger in James 1:19. In short, anger is not conducive to working out righteousness in our life.

Later in this same epistle James states an essentially opposite truth that...

the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  (James 3:18)

Anger (3709) (orge from orgaô = to teem, to swell) conveys the picture of a swelling which eventually bursts, and thus describes an anger that proceeds from one’s settled nature.  Orge refers to to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders.

Man (435) (andros; English = androgenic) is literally a male, but can refer to a husband and as here can be used more generally as a reference to mankind, speaking of a person.

Not (3756) (ou) means absolutely not.

Achieve (2038) (ergazomai from érgon = work) means to work out, engage in an activity involving considerable expenditure of effort. It was used to describe one toiling energetically and diligently in the vineyard. Ergazomai is present tense indicating habitual activity.

Righteousness (1343) (dikaiosune from díkaios = being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified being in accordance with what God requires) conveys the idea of conforming to a standard or norm. In Biblical terms it is that which is acceptable to God and in keeping with what God is in His holy character. The word righteousness comes from a root word that means “straightness.” It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. God "drops the plumbline" so to speak when it comes to morals and ethics. And so we see that righteousness is a moral concept. God’s character is obviously the definition and source of all righteousness (what a contrast to the pagan gods who unrighteous behavior is "mythical"!) God is totally righteous because He is totally as He should be. The righteousness of God could be succinctly stated as that which is all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, all that He provides (through Christ).

Pastor Steven Cole explains and then applies the eternal truth in James 1:19-20 writing...

James (James 1:20) gives the reason that we should be slow to anger, “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” If you want to grow in righteousness, stop fighting God’s word and submit to it.

As I’ve mentioned before, for me this was the key in coming to understand and accept the doctrine of election. As a college student, I used to fight Paul (so I thought—actually, I was fighting God!). I would wrestle with Romans 9, up to verse 19, where he says, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’” I thought, “Yeah, Paul, answer that question for me!”

But then, I thought, he cops out. His answer (Ro 9:20, 21) is,

“On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and an-other for common use?”

That answer made me angry.

Then one day as I was boxing with Paul, the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I gave you the answer very plainly. You just don’t like it!” I went, “Gulp!” With Job (Job 42:2, 6), I said,

“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted…. Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.”

That is the only attitude if you want to have a receptive, teachable heart before God.

Before I leave James 1:19-20, I want to apply it also to our personal relationships. I have seen the sin of anger rip apart Christian families and churches. Unbridled anger is a devastating sin that always creates distance in relationships. It destroys your children. It never accomplishes anything good. You might as well throw a bomb into your living room while your family is sitting there!

Jesus labeled anger as the root sin behind murder (Mt 5:21,22 - see notes Mt 5:21; 22). Before Cain committed the first murder in history, God con-fronted him with the question (Ge 4:6),

“Why are you angry?”

It’s not a bad question to ask yourself when you’re angry. Paul warned that unchecked anger gives the devil a foothold in your life (see notes Ephesians 4:26; 27). And yet it is tolerated in many homes and churches. I have known Christian husbands and fathers who abuse their families with angry words and behavior. I have known of pastors who bully others with anger in an attempt to control the church.

Sure, we excuse it as hereditary or justify it as “righteous anger.” But you can pretty much assume that it is not righteous! It almost always stems from selfishness or pride: I didn’t get my way, and I want my way, and I’m going to threaten everyone around me until I get my way! But we need to listen to what James says: “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Paul clearly labels

“enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [and] factions” as deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:20 - note).

He warns,

“that those who practice (present tense