James 1:24

James 1:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
• New International Version (NIV)and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
• New King James Version (NKJV)for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

Context of James 1:24

22But be careful to do what God says in his message. Do not only listen to it. Do not make that mistake! 23You must obey God's message. Do not be like a man who quickly looks at his face in a mirror. That man looks at himself, but then he goes away. He immediately forgets what he is really like. 25So do not just listen to God's message and then forget it. It is a completely good message that makes people free. Look at it carefully and keep it in your mind. Do what it tells you to do. God will bless anyone who lives in that way. 26Maybe some of you think that you are serving God well. But if you also say bad things about people, you do not serve God well at all. You are doing something bad even when you think you are doing good things.

James 1:24 word by word

κατενόησεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπελήλυθεν καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετο ὁποῖος ἦν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• he beholdethκατανοέωkatanoeō · to observeG2657
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• goeth his wayἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
• straightwayεὐθέωςeutheōs · immediatelyG2112
• forgettethἐπιλανθάνωepilanthanomai · to forgetG1950
• what manner of manὁποῖοςhopoios · what sort?G3697
• he wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510

Cross-references for James 1:24

• Judges 8:18Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, ‘Tell me about the men that you killed at Tabor. What kind of men were they?’ The kings answered, ‘They were like you. They looked like the sons of kings.’
• Matthew 8:27The disciples were very surprised. They asked each other, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey him!’
• Luke 1:66Everyone who heard about these things thought about them. They asked each other, ‘When this child becomes a man, what will he be?’ They could see that God really was with him.
• Luke 7:39When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, ‘This man cannot be a prophet from God. If he were, he would know all about this woman. He would know that she is a very bad person. He would not let her touch him.’
• 1 Thessalonians 1:5When we told you God's good news, it was not only words that we spoke to you. God helped us with his power and with the Holy Spirit. As a result, you were sure that our message was true. You also know that we lived among you in a good way. We had come to help you.
• 2 Peter 3:11Certainly, God will destroy everything in this way one day. So think about how you should live now. You should be the kind of people that God is happy about. You should show that you belong to God.

Commentaries on James 1:24

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-25Verses 22-25 If we heard a sermon every day of the week, and an angel from heaven were the preacher, yet, if we rested in hearing only, it would never bring us to heaven. Mere hearers are self-deceivers; and self-deceit will be found the worst deceit at last. If we flatter ourselves, it is our own fault; the truth, as it is in Jesus, flatters no man. Let the word of truth be carefully attended to, and it will set before us the corruption of our nature…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24forgets what he looks like: The issue is not the poor quality of an ancient mirror, but the viewer's lack of attention (see Matthew 7:24–27).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. beholdeth--more literally, "he contemplated himself and hath gone his way," that is, no sooner has he contemplated his image than he is gone his way (Jas 1:11). "Contemplate" answers to hearing the word: "goeth his way," to relaxing the attention after hearing--letting the mind go elsewhere, and the interest of the thing heard pass away: then forgetfulness follows [Alford] (Compare Eze 33:31). "Contemplate" here, and in Jas 1:23, implies that, though…Read the comment

Topics related to James 1:24

• Doer
• Hearers
• Hypocrisy
• Mirror
• Obedience
• Parables
• Stability
• Word of God
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Entice
• Fade
• Lack
• Lay
• Liberally
• Lust
• Pure
• Receive
• Religion
• Swift

Commentaries on James 1

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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