James 2:16

James 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
• New International Version (NIV)If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
• English Standard Version (ESV)and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
• New King James Version (NKJV)and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Context of James 2:16

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. 15For example, maybe a believer does not have enough clothes to wear or enough food to eat. Then 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! 18Someone may say, ‘You believe in God, but I do good things to help people.’ Then I would say, ‘You cannot show me that you believe in God if you do not do good things. I do good things, and that shows that I really believe in God.’

James 2:16 word by word

εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν· ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• oneτιςtis · oneG5100
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• youσύsu · youG4771
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Departὑπάγωhupagō · to goG5217
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
• beθερμαίνωthermainō · to warmG2328
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• filledχορτάζωchortazō · to feedG5526
• ye giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• notμήmē · notG3361
• those things which are needfulἐπιτήδειοςepitēdeios · necessaryG2006
• to the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• profitὄφελοςophelos · gainG3786

Cross-references for James 2:16

• Job 22:7When you met people who were weak and tired, you did not give them any water to drink. You refused to feed hungry people.
• Proverbs 3:27Do not refuse to help those people who need help. If you are able to help them, do it!
• Matthew 14:15When it was almost evening, Jesus' disciples came to speak to him. They said to him, ‘We are in a place where there are no houses. It will soon be dark. Send the crowd away now, so that they can go to the villages near here. Then they can buy some food for themselves to eat.’
• Matthew 15:32Then Jesus told his disciples to come to him. ‘I feel sorry for this crowd,’ he said to them. ‘They have been here with me now for three days. They do not have any food. I do not want to send them away while they are hungry. They might fall down during their journey because they are weak.’
• Matthew 25:42I was hungry but you did not give me any food to eat. I was thirsty but you did not give me anything to drink.
• Romans 12:9Really love other people, not like a hypocrite. Hate anything that is bad. Continue to do things that are good.
• 2 Corinthians 8:8I am not telling you that you must do this. I have told you how much other believers want to give their money. In that way, I want to see if you really love other people who need your help.
• 1 John 3:16This is how we know what true love is: Jesus Christ gave his own life on the cross. He died on our behalf. So we too ought to give our lives for other believers.
• James 2:14My 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.

Commentaries on James 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Be ye warmed and filled - Your saying so to them, while you give them nothing, will just profit them as much as your professed faith, without those works which are the genuine fruits of true faith, will profit you in the day when God comes to sit in judgment upon your soul.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. 1616. The habit of receiving passively sentimental impressions from sights of woe without carrying them out into active habits only hardens the heart. one of you--James brings home the case to his hearers individually. Depart in peace--as if all their wants were satisfied by the mere words addressed to them. The same words in the mouth of Christ, whose faith they said they had, were accompanied by efficient deeds of love. be ... warmed--with clothing…Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:16

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

In the dictionaries

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

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