James 3:15

James 3:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
• New International Version (NIV)Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

Context of James 3:15

13Do some of you think that you are wise? Do you think that you are clever? If so, show that you are wise by the way that you live. Be kind to other people. Do things that are good. That is what it means to be wise. 14But if you live in a bad way, do not think that you are wise. Are you jealous of other people so that you hate them? Do you want to make yourself important? If you live like that, do not say that you are great and wise. You are not saying what is true. You are not being wise in the way that God wants you to be wise. Instead, you are thinking like people who do not know God. Your thoughts do not come from God's Spirit. They come from demons. 16If you are jealous of other people and you want to make yourself important, that will cause trouble. People will argue and fight against one another. They will do all kinds of bad things. 17But if God makes you really wise, you will live in a completely good way. That is the most important thing. Also, you will live in a way that brings peace. You will be kind to other people so that they become your friends. You will listen to them and not argue. You will forgive them and do many good things to help them. You will not choose between people. And you will not be a hypocrite.

James 3:15 word by word

οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία ἄνωθεν κατερχομένη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπίγειος ψυχικὴ δαιμονιώδης.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• wisdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• descendethκατέρχομαιkaterchomai · to descendG2718
• notοὐou · noG3756
• from aboveἄνωθενanōthen · from above/againG509
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• earthlyἐπίγειοςepigeios · earthlyG1919
• sensualψυχικόςpsuchikos · naturalG5591
• devilishδαιμονιώδηςdaimoniōdēs · demonicG1141

Cross-references for James 3:15

• James 3:17But if God makes you really wise, you will live in a completely good way. That is the most important thing. Also, you will live in a way that brings peace. You will be kind to other people so that they become your friends. You will listen to them and not argue. You will forgive them and do many good things to help them. You will not choose between people. And you will not be a hypocrite.
• James 1:5But maybe you need to know how to be wise. Then ask God to help you. He is ready to give everyone what they need. And he never says that it is wrong to ask. So God will help you to be wise.
• John 3:17God did not send his Son into the world because he wanted to punish people. He sent his Son to save the people in the world from punishment.
• 1 Corinthians 3:3You still do what your human nature wants to do. You are jealous of each other, and you quarrel with each other. Yes! This shows that you do what your human nature wants to do. You live like people who do not know God.
• Philippians 3:19In the end, God will destroy them. Their stomach is what they worship. They are proud of things that should make them ashamed. Their thoughts are full of things that belong to this world.
• 2 Samuel 13:3Amnon had a friend called Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother, Shimeah. Jonadab was a clever man.
• 2 Samuel 15:31Someone told David that his advisor, Ahithophel, had now joined with Absalom and his men. So David prayed, ‘Lord, please cause Ahithophel to give them foolish advice.’
• 2 Samuel 16:23In those days, people thought that Ahithophel's words were as good as a message from God. So Absalom trusted Ahithophel as his advisor, as David had done too.
• Jeremiah 4:22The Lord says, ‘My people are fools. They do not know me. They are like children who do not know anything. They understand nothing. They are very clever at doing evil things. But they do not know how to do what is good.’
• Luke 16:8Jesus then said, ‘The servant in the story was not honest. But his master spoke well about what he had done. It would help the servant later in his life. People that do not obey God think carefully. They know how to do well with people who are like themselves. But people who live in God's light often think less carefully.
• Romans 1:22They said that they were wise, but really they became fools.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19It says in the Bible: ‘I, God, will destroy all the clever thoughts of wise people. I will show that their clever ideas are useless.’
• 1 Corinthians 2:6But we do speak about wise thoughts to those of you who know Christ very well. But those wise thoughts do not belong to this world. They are not the ideas that the rulers of this world think are important. Those rulers will not be powerful for long.
• 1 Corinthians 3:19People in this world think that some people are wise. But God thinks that those wise people are fools. It says in the Bible: ‘God causes the clever thoughts of wise people to confuse them.’
• 2 Corinthians 1:12We can be proud of how we have lived in this world. We have been careful to be honest and good with everyone. And we have been like that with you even more. We are sure in our own minds that this is true. We have not tried to be clever in a human way. But we have lived in the way that God has helped us to live.
• Jude 1:19It is people like this who cause you to argue with one another, so that you belong to separate groups. Their thoughts belong to this world. They do not have God's Spirit in them.

Commentaries on James 3:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above - God is not the author of it, because it is bitter - not meek. See at the end of this chapter. Is earthly - Having this life only in view. Sensual - · Animal - having for its object the gratification of the passions and animal propensities. Devilish - · Demoniacal - inspired by demons, and maintained in the soul by their indwelling influence.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above - Compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 3:3. The wisdom here referred to is that carnal or worldly wisdom which produces strife and contention; that kind of knowledge which leads to self-conceit, and which prompts a man to defend his opinions with over-heated zeal. In the contentions which are in the world, in church and state, in neighborhoods and families, at the bar, in political life, and in theological disputes…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 These verses show the difference between men's pretending to be wise, and their being really so. He who thinks well, or he who talks well, is not wise in the sense of the Scripture, if he does not live and act well. True wisdom may be know by the meekness of the spirit and temper. Those who live in malice, envy, and contention, live in confusion; and are liable to be provoked and hurried to any evil work. Such wisdom comes not down from…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Earthly wisdom is not part of God's good creation. It is the opposite of heavenly wisdom because it leaves out God. It is unspiritual because it does not acknowledge or respond to God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14; Jude 1:19). It is demonic because it comes from the devil, who is the ultimate source of this wisdom that destroys (James 3:6; 4:6; 1 Timothy 4:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. This wisdom--in which ye "glory," as if ye were "wise" (Jas 3:13, 14). descendeth not from above--literally, "is not one descending," &c.: "from the Father of lights" (true illumination and wisdom), Jas 1:17; through "the Spirit of truth," Joh 15:26. earthly--opposed to heavenly. Distinct from "earthy," 1Co 15:47. Earthly is what is IN the earth; earthy, what is of the earth. sensual--literally, "animal-like": the wisdom of the "natural" (the same…Read the comment

Topics related to James 3:15

• Righteousness
• Strife

In the dictionaries

• Course
• Governor
• Obey
• Offend
• Ought
• Tame
• Earthly
• James, Epistle of
• Sensual
• demon, evil spirit, unclean spirit

Commentaries on James 3

• 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