Chrē is an impersonal verb meaning 'it is necessary' or 'one ought,' expressing moral or practical necessity. James uses it when addressing the inconsistency of blessing God while cursing people: 'From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.' The impersonal verb conveys moral necessity—what must or must not be the case. Just as a spring cannot produce both fresh and salt water, a redeemed tongue should not produce both praise and curse. The necessity James expresses is rooted in the nature of Christian transformation and the incompatibility of blessing God while cursing his image-bearers.