James 1:19 (DRB)

Passage

You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger.

Nearby Context

James 1:17 Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration.

James 1:18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.

James 1:19 You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger.

James 1:20 For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.

James 1:21 Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "For of his own will hath he..." into verse 20's "For the anger of man worketh not...", so "dearest" 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 "dearest" and "brethren" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.