James 2:17

James 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
• New International Version (NIV)In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Context of James 2:17

15For 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. How 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.’ 19You believe that there is only one God. That is good! But even the demons believe that! And it makes them very afraid.

James 2:17 word by word

οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ᾽ ἑαυτήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Evenκαίkai · andG2532
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• faithὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• it hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• notμήmē · notG3361
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• beingκατάkata · according toG2596
• aloneἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438

Cross-references for James 2:17

• 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.
• 1 Corinthians 13:3I may give all my things to help poor people. I may let other people take my body to burn it. But that would not help me if I do not love others.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:3As we pray to our Father God, we remember how you live. You do good things because you believe in Christ. You work hard to help other people because you love them and you love God. You are also strong and patient because you hope strongly in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Timothy 1:5We need to teach people to love one another with pure thoughts. They need to be sure in their minds that they are living in a good way. They need to trust God completely.
• 2 Peter 1:5God has done all this to help you. So now that you believe in Christ, you must grow as believers. Try very much to do always what is good. Then you should grow to know God more and more.

Commentaries on James 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17If it hath not works, is dead - The faith that does not produce works of charity and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, love to God and love to man. They had faith, such as a man has who credits a well-circumstanced relation because it has all the appearance of truth; but they had nothing of that faith that a sinner, convinced of his sinfulness, God's purity, and the strictness of the Divine laws, is obliged to…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. 14-26James explains why Christians should care about how God will judge their actions (2:12–13): Good deeds must accompany true faith (see 1:22–25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. faith ... being alone--Alford joins "is dead in itself." So Bengel, "If the works which living faith produces have no existence, it is a proof that faith itself (literally, 'in respect to itself') has no existence; that is, that what one boasts of as faith, is dead." "Faith" is said to be "dead in itself," because when it has works it is alive, and it is discerned to be so, not in respect to its works, but in respect to itself. English Version, if…Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:17

• Faith
• Hypocrisy
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich
• Sister
• Discrepancies, Biblical
• 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