James 2:15

James 2:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
• New International Version (NIV)Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
• New King James Version (NKJV)If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

Context of James 2:15

13God will not forgive anyone who has not forgiven other people. But God is kind! He judges us, but even more than that, he forgives us! 14My Christian brothers, you say that you believe in God. Then you must show this in the things that you do. If not, your faith will not help you. It will not save you. For example, maybe a believer does not have enough clothes to wear or enough food to eat. 16Then one of you may say to them, ‘Go with God's peace! I pray that you will be warm. I pray that you will eat well.’ But if you do not give to them what they need, that does not help them at all. 17How we believe in God is also like that. If our faith does not lead us to do good things, then it is not worth anything. It is dead!

James 2:15 word by word

ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι ὦσιν τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• a brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• orἤē · orG2228
• sisterἀδελφήadelphē · sisterG79
• beὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• nakedγυμνόςgumnos · nakedG1131
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• destituteλείπωleipō · to lackG3007
• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• of dailyἐφήμεροςephēmeros · dailyG2184
• foodτροφήtrophē · foodG5160

Cross-references for James 2:15

• James 2:5My Christian friends, listen to me. God has chosen to bless people who are poor in this world. He has helped them to trust him. So really they are rich. God will give to them a place in his kingdom. He has promised to do that for all people who love him.
• Job 31:16I have never refused to help people who are poor. I have always helped widows to hope for good things.
• Isaiah 58:7Instead, share your food with hungry people. Give a place in your home to poor people who have no home. Give clothes to people who have nothing to wear. If people in your own family need help, do not refuse to help them.
• Ezekiel 18:7He is not cruel to other people. When he lends money to someone, he gives back anything that he has taken as a guarantee. He does not take things that belong to other people. He gives food to hungry people. He gives clothes to poor people.
• Matthew 25:35I was hungry and you gave me some food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me some water to drink. I was visiting your town and you asked me to stay in your home.
• Mark 14:7You will always have poor people with you. You can help them at any time that you want. But you will not always have me with you.
• Luke 3:11John answered, ‘If you have two shirts, give one away. Give it to someone who does not have even one shirt. If you have some food, give some of it away. Give some to someone who has no food.’
• Acts 9:29Saul also talked with the Jews who spoke the Greek language. He argued with them about Jesus. As a result, they wanted to kill him.
• Hebrews 11:37Some of them died when people killed them with stones. Some of them died when people cut them into two pieces. Some of them died when people killed them with swords. Some of these people wore the skins of sheep and goats while they travelled about. They were very poor and they had a lot of trouble. People did bad things to them.

Commentaries on James 2:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15If a brother or sister be naked - That is, ill-clothed; for , naked, has this meaning in several parts of the New Testament, signifying bad clothing, or the want of some particular article of dress. See Matthew 25:36, Matthew 25:38, Matthew 25:43, Matthew 25:44, and John 21:7. It has the same comparative signification in most languages.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 If a brother or sister be naked … - The comparison in these verses is very obvious and striking. The sense is, that faith in itself, without the acts that correspond to it, and to which it would prompt, is as cold, and heartless, and unmeaning, and useless, as it would be to say to one who was destitute of the necessaries of life, depart in peace.” In itself considered, it might seem to have something that was good; but it would answer none…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. 15-16Suppose: In 2:2–4, James gives an example of "faith" that is useless. without clothes and daily food: In first-century Palestine and the Roman world, many people who were poor lacked basic needs. stay warm and well-fed: This probably assumes that God will provide for the poor. The speaker might think that believing it will happen is enough. But without action, it is just an empty hope.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. The Greek is, "But if," &c.: the "But" taking up the argument against such a one as "said he had faith, and yet had not works," which are its fruits. a brother, &c.--a fellow Christian, to whom we are specially bound to give help, independent of our general obligation to help all our fellow creatures. be--The Greek implies, "be found, on your access to them."Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:15

• Beneficence
• Faith
• Hypocrisy
• Poor
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Selfishness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Naked
• Offend
• Poor
• Respect
• Rich
• Sister

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