James 2:8
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: | If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. | Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedJames 2:1-13No respect of persons
About James 2James warns against favouring a rich man with "a gold ring" over "a poor man in vile raiment," for God has "chosen the poor of this world rich in faith," and respect of persons breaks "the royal law according to the scripture," to love one's neighbour as oneself. He asks what it profits if "a man say he hath faith, and have not works," and says, "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Abraham and Rahab were "justified by works," and "as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:1James 2:2James 2:5James 2:8James 2:9James 2:14James 2:17James 2:21James 2:25James 2:26James overview
Why this verse matters here"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well." The command is from Leviticus 19:18. James 2:8James 2:9Leviticus 19:18
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If | εἰ | ei | G1487G | ifεἰ (ei) εἰ, conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions. I. Conditional, if; 1. with indic, expressing a general assumption; (a) pres.: before indic, pres., Mat.11:14, Rom.8:25, al.; before imperat., Mrk.4:23 9:22, Jhn.15:18, 1Co.7:9, al.; before fut. indic., Luk.16:31, Rom.8:11, al.; before pf. or aor., with negation in apodosis, Mat.12:26, Rom.4:14, al.; similarly, before impf., Luk.17:6, Jhn.8:39; before quæst., Mat.6:23, Jhn.5:47 7:23 8:46, 1Pe.2:20; (b) fut.: Mat.26:33, 1Pe.2:20; (with) pf.: Jhn.11:12, Rom.6:5, al.; … |
| indeed | μέντοι | mentoi | G3305 | yetμέντοι (mentoi) μέν-τοι = μέν τοι, yet, however: Jhn.4:27, al.; εἰ μ., Jas.2:8 (if indeed). (AS) |
| [the] law | νόμον | nomon | G3551 | lawνόμος (nomos) νόμος, -ου, ὁ (νέμω, to deal out, distribute), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹרָה, also for חֻקָּה, etc. ;] that which is assigned, hence, usage, custom, then law; in NT (only in Mt, Jo, Ja, and the Lucan and Pauline bks.); 1. of law in general: Rom.3:27 5:13b; pl., of divine laws, Heb.8:10 10:16; ὁ ν. τ. Χριστοῦ, Gal.6:2; (τ.) ἐλευθερίας, Jas.1:25 2:12; βασιλικιός (Hort., in l.; Deiss., LAE, 267:3), Jas.2:8. 2. Of a force or influence impelling to action: Rom.7:21, 23a, 25 8:2. … |
| you keep | τελεῖτε | teleite | G5055 | to finishτελέω (teleō) τελέω, -ῶ (τέλος), [in LXX for כָּלָה, pi., etc. ;] 1. to bring to an end, complete, finish: τ. δρόμον, 2Ti.4:7; τ. λόγους, Mat.7:28 19:1 26:1; τ. παραβολάς, Mat.13:53; τ. πόλεις, Mat.10:23; pass., Rev.15:8 20:3, 5 20:7; with ptcp., Mat.11:1. 2. to execute, perform, complete, fulfil: Luk.2:39, Act.13:29, Rom.2:27, 2Co.12:9, Gal.5:16, Jas.2:8, Rev.11:7; pass., Luk.12:50 18:31 22:37, Jhn.19:28, 30, Rev.10:7 15:1 17:17. 3. to pay (frequently in cl.): Mat.17:24, Rom.13:6 (cf. ἀπο-, δια-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-τελέω).† (AS) |
| royal | βασιλικὸν | basilikon | G0937 | royalβασιλικός (basilikos) βασιλικός, -ή, -όν (βασιλεύς), [in LXX for מֶלֶךְ and its cognates ;] royal, belonging to a king: χώρα, Act 12:20; ἐσθής, Act.12:21; νόμος β., a supreme law, "a law which governs other laws and so has a specially regal character" (Hort), or because made by a king (LAE, p. 3673), Jas.2:8; τις, one in the service of a king, a courtier, Jhn.4:46, 49 (WH, mg., βασιλίσκος).† (AS) |
| according to | κατὰ | kata | G2596 | according toκατά (kata) κατά (bef. a vowel κατ᾽, καθ᾽; on the frequently neglect of elision, see Tdf., Pr., 95; WH, App., 146a), prep. with genitive, accusative, down, downwards. I. C. genitive (WM, §47, k; Bl., §42, 2). 1. C. genitive of thing(s), in local sense; (a) down, down from: Mat.8:32, Mrk.5:13, Luk.8:33, 1Co.11:4; (b) throughout (late usage; Bl, l.with): κ. ὅλης κ.τ.λ., Luk.4:14 23:5, Act.9:31 10:37; (with) in a peculiar adjectival phrase: ἡ κ. βάθους, deep or extreme poverty, 2Co.8:2. 2. C. genitive of person(s), usually in hostile sense; … |
| Scripture; | γραφήν· | graphēn | G1124 | a writingγραφή (graphē) γραφή, -ῆς, ἡ (γράφω), [in LXX chiefly for כְּתָב ;] 1. a drawing, painting. 2. (a) writing; (b) that which is written, a writing: πᾶσα γ., 2Ti.3:16; γ. ἅγιαι, Rom.1:2; προφητικαί, Rom.16:26; al αἱ γ. τ. προφητῶν, Mat.26:56; ἡ γ., αἱ γ., the sacred writings, the Scriptures (i.e. the OT; see Milligan, NTD, 205); in pl., when the sacred writings as a whole are meant, e.g. Mat.21:42 26:54, Jhn.5:39, Rom.15:4; in sing., when a particular passage is referred to, as in Luk.4:21, Jhn.19:24, Rom.4:3 9:17 10:11 11:2, Jas.2:23 (Cremer, 165; DCG, ii, 584). (AS) |
| You will love | ἀγαπήσεις | agapēseis | G0025 | to loveἀγαπάω (agapaō) ἀγαπάω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for אהב ;] to love, to feel and exhibit esteem and goodwill to a person, to prize and delight in a thing. 1. Of human affection, to men: τ. πλησίον, Mat.5:43; τ. ἐχθρούς, ib. 44; to Christ, Jhn.8:42; to God, Mat.22:37; with accusative of thing(s), Luk.11:43, Jhn.12:43, Eph.5:25, II Tim 4:8, 10, Heb.1:9, 1Pe.2:17, 3:10, 2Pe.2:15, 1Jn.2:15, Rev.12:11. 2. Of divine love; (a) God's love: to men, Rom.8:37; to Christ, Jhn.3:35; (b) Christ's love: to men, Mrk.10:21; to God, Jhn.14:31; with cogn. accusative, Jhn.17:26, Eph.2:4. … |
| neighbour | πλησίον | plēsion | G4139 | near/neighborπλησίον (plēsion) πλησίος, -α, -ον (πέλας, near), near, close by, neighbouring. As adv., πλησίον = πέλας, near: with genitive, Jhn.4:5; with art., ὁ π., one's neighbour [in LXX chiefly for רֵעַ ]: Luk.10:29, 36, Act.7:27, Rom.13:10 15:2, Eph.4:25, Jas.4:12; ἀγαπήσεις τὸν π. σου ὡς σεαυτόν (Lev.19:18, LXX), Mat.5:43 19:19 22:39, Mrk.12:31, 33, Luk.10:27, Rom.13:9, Gal.5:14, Jas.2:8 (on the various senses of ὁ π. in OT, NT, see DB, iii, 511; DCC, ii, 240 f.).† (AS) |
| of you | σου | sou | G4771 | youσέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| as | ὡς | hōs | G5613 | as/whenὡς (hōs) ὡς, adverbial form of the relative pron. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. I. As relat. adv. of manner, as, like as, just as, even as; 1. with a demonstrative, like οὕτως, expressed or understood: οὕτως . . . ὡς, Mrk.4:26, 1Co.3:15, Eph.5:28, Jas.2:12, al.; ὡς . . . οὕτως, Act.8:32, 1Co.7:17, al.; elliptically (sc. οὕτως, οὕτω), with nom., Mat.6:29, al.; with accusative, Mat.19:19, Mrk.12:31, al.; with prep., Mat.26:55, Mrk.14:48, Luk.22:52, Jhn.7:10, al.; with verb., Jhn.15:6, 2Co.3:1, Eph.2:3, 1Th.5:6, al.; with ptcp. (the ptcp. however not having the special force wh. it has in cl.; see Bl., §73, 5; 74, 6), Mat. … |
| yourself, | σεαυτόν, | seauton | G4771 | youσέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| well | καλῶς | kalōs | G2573 | wellκαλῶς (kalōs) καλῶς adv. (καλός), [in LXX for parts and derivatives of יָטַב ;] finely, rightly, well: Luk.6:48, 1Co.14:17, Gal.4:17 5:7, Jas.2:3; λέγειν, λαλεῖν, etc., Mat.15:7, Mrk.7:6 12:28, Luk.6:26 20:39, Jhn.4:17 8:48 13:13 18:23, Act.28:25; as exclamation of approval, Mrk.12:32, Rom.11:20; κ. ποιεῖν, Mat.12:12, 1Co.7:37-38 Jas.2:8, 19; with dative of person(s) (cl. accusative; WM, § 32, 1 β), Luk.6:27; with accusative of thing(s), Mrk.7:37; with ptcp., Act.10:33 (M, Pr., 131), Php.4:14, 2Pe.1:19, 3Jn.6; προϊστάναι (-ασθαι), 1Ti.3:4 3:12 5:17; διακονεῖν, 1Ti.3:13; ἀνατρέφεσθαι, Heb.13:18; ironically … |
| you are doing; | ποιεῖτε· | poieite | G4160G | to do/make: doποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.