James 1:26 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

If any man among you seem to be religious; seems to others, or rather to himself; thinks himself religious, because cause of his hearing and outward worship: thus the word rendered seems is often taken, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 8:2 14:37 Galatians 6:3. Here he shows who are not doers of the work, as in the next verse, who are. And bridleth not his tongue; restrains it not from the common vices of the tongue, reviling, railing, censuring, &c. But deceiveth his own heart; either deceiveth his own heart in thinking himself religious, when indulging himself in things so contrary to religion, or deceiveth his own heart, being blinded with self-love, and lifted up with self-conceit, which is the cause of his censuring and speaking evil of others. This man's religion is vain; empty, and to no purpose, having no reality in itself, and bringing no benefit to him.