James 2:21

James 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
• New International Version (NIV)Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Context of James 2:21

19You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]! 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless? Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]? 22You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience]. 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and this [faith] was credited to him [by God] as righteousness and as conformity to His will,” and he was called the friend of God.

James 2:21 word by word

Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Was notοὐou · noG3756
• AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fatherὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• when he had offeredἀναφέρωanapherō · to carry upG399
• IsaacἸσαάκIsaak · IsaacG2464
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379

Cross-references for James 2:21

• Joshua 24:3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the [Euphrates] River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants, and I gave him Isaac.
• Isaiah 51:2Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; For I called him when he was but one, Then I blessed him and made him many.”
• Matthew 3:9and do not presume to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [so our inheritance assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham.
• Luke 1:73The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
• Luke 16:24And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’
• John 8:39They answered, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are [truly] Abraham’s children, then do the works of Abraham and follow his example.
• Acts 7:2And he answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
• Romans 4:1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]
• James 2:18But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].”
• Psalms 143:2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous or justified.
• Matthew 12:37For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
• Matthew 25:31“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
• Romans 3:20For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].
• Genesis 22:9When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood, and bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood.

Commentaries on James 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Was not Abraham our father - Did not the conduct of Abraham, in offering up his son Isaac on the altar, sufficiently prove that he believed in God, and that it was his faith in him that led him to this extraordinary act of obedience?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Was not Abraham our father - Our progenitor, our ancestor; using the word “father,” as frequently occurs in the Bible, to denote a remote ancestor. Compare the notes at Matthew 1:1. A reference to his case would have great weight with those who were Jews by birth, and probably most of those to whom this Epistle was addressed were of this character. See the Introduction. Justified by works - That is, in the sense in which James is maintaining that a man…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-26Verses 14-26 Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith. A bare…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-26James shows through Scripture that true faith is shown through actions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Abraham ... justified by works--evidentially, and before men (see on Jas 2:18). In Jas 2:23, James, like Paul, recognizes the Scripture truth, that it was his faith that was counted to Abraham for righteousness in his justification before God. when he had offered--rather, "when he offered" [Alford], that is, brought as an offering at the altar; not implying that he actually offered him.Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:21

• Abraham
• Faith
• Hypocrisy
• Isaac
• Justification
• Obedience
• Religion
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Isaac
• Abraham, Abram
• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich

Commentaries on James 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings