James 1:19 (ASV)

Passage

Ye know [this], my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Nearby Context

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

James 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:19 Ye know [this], my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 1:20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

James 1:21 Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beloved", "brethren", "swift", "hear", "slow", "speak", and "wrath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beloved" and "brethren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "Of his own will he brought us..." into verse 20's "for the wrath of man worketh not...", so "beloved" and "brethren" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beloved" and "brethren" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.