James 3:9 Meaning: Can We Bless God and Curse His Image?
With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:
with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God;
Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men made after [the] likeness of God.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does James 3:9 call it a contradiction to bless God and curse people made in His image? Learn what this verse means for your daily words.
Context
James writes to believers who gathered regularly to worship God, calling Him Lord and Father. But in chapter 3 he confronts a painful split in their lives. The same people who lifted praises on one day spoke words that cut down others the next day. He has already warned that the tongue is a fire, a restless evil full of poison. Now he names the deepest scandal: when we bless God and then curse any person, we dishonor the Creator by attacking His image. The problem runs deeper than bad language. It reveals a heart divided.
Key Words
Three Greek words help us feel the force of this verse. Eulogeō means to speak well of God and to praise Him. It is the word the church has always used when gathering to worship and pray. When you bless God, you are doing what you were made for. Kataraomai means to wish harm or to speak destruction. It is a violent word, the opposite of blessing. And then there is homoiōsis, “likeness.” This is the word from Genesis: humans were made according to God’s likeness. Even after the fall, that likeness remains enough that cursing a person is like defacing a portrait of the King. James is not talking about minor slip-ups. He is naming a contradiction that cuts to the core of faith. The same tongue that says “amen” should not be the same tongue that tears another person down.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers across traditions have heard this verse as a call to consistency. John Calvin saw it as hypocrisy: when you bless God and then curse men, you curse God in His own image. The Cambridge Bible notes that James likely had in mind Jewish believers who blessed God but cursed Gentiles, and warns that church history has repeated this pattern, with councils and factions blessing God while cursing those who disagree. Matthew Henry, writing in the Reformed tradition, says we ought to reverence the image of God in ourselves and in others. Wesley simply says that though we have lost the likeness, “there remains from thence an indelible nobleness.” Across all these readings, the core stays the same: the tongue reveals what the heart truly believes about God and about people.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading of this verse is to think “curse” only means using profanity or swearing at someone. In fact, the Greek word kataraomai is much broader. It means to wish harm or to speak evil of a person. James is talking about any word that tears down someone who bears God’s image. Gossip, slander, harsh criticism and silent contempt also belong to the family of cursing. The heart that fails to honour what God has made is the real source of the problem.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to the people you speak about, not just the people you speak to. Think of the one person whose politics frustrate you, or the family member who hurt you years ago. Before you speak, remember: this person is made in the likeness of God. That does not mean you never disagree or set boundaries. It means you cannot bless God with the same mouth you use to tear down His image. James does not ask us to be perfect overnight. He asks us to see the contradiction and let it bother us until something changes.
Main takeaway: Blessing God and cursing people made in His likeness is a contradiction that no honest faith can ignore.
For Families
For ages 5-8
Your tongue is a small part of your body, but it can do big things. You can use it to say nice things about your mom and dad. You can also use it to say mean things to your brother or sister. God wants you to use your tongue to be kind because every person is special to Him.
For ages 9-12
James says something important about our words. He says we use our tongue to bless God, to sing praise and pray, and then we turn around and use the same tongue to say mean things about people. But here is the thing: every person you meet was made by God, and He put His own image on them. When you say something cruel about someone, you are dishonouring something God made. That is why James says this should not happen. He even says the same mouth should not pour out both blessing and cursing, like a fountain that gives both clean and dirty water. Your words matter because people matter to God.
Questions People Ask
What does 'curse' mean in James 3:9?
In the original Greek, the word is kataraomai, which means to wish harm, to imprecate evil or to speak destruction on someone. It goes beyond using bad language. It covers any word that tears down or condemns another person. James is pointing out the deep contradiction of blessing God while cursing people made in His image.
Does James 3:9 mean Christians can never criticize anyone?
No. James is not saying we can never disagree or correct someone. He is talking about words that come from a place of cursing, wishing harm or condemning. It is possible to speak hard truths with love. The issue is the heart behind the words. When we speak from anger or contempt toward someone who bears God's image, we contradict our own worship.
What does 'made after the similitude of God' mean?
Similitude is an older English word for likeness. James is drawing on Genesis 1:26-27, where God says, 'Let's make man in our image, after our likeness.' Even though sin has damaged that image, enough remains that cursing a person is like cursing the Creator. Christians across traditions agree: every human being carries a dignity that should make us pause before we speak harshly.
Why does James use the word 'we' in verse 9?
James includes himself in the problem. He does not say 'they curse' but 'we curse.' This is not a finger-pointing lecture from someone who has it all figured out. It is a pastor who knows his own struggle with his tongue and invites his readers to face the same contradiction together. The use of 'we' makes it clear this is a human problem, not just a problem for certain people.
What is the 'inconsistency' James is talking about?
The inconsistency is using the same tongue for opposite purposes, to bless God and to curse people. James calls this absurd, like a spring that gives both fresh and bitter water, or a fig tree that bears olives. The point is not that Christians must be perfect, but that the contradiction should bother us. If we really love God, we will learn to love the people He made.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study