God’s Word Translation
James 1:14
14Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.
James 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
- New International Version (NIV)but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Context of James 1:14
12Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. 15Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death. 16My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled.
Read all of James 1James 1:14 word by word
ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- every manἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
- is temptedπειράζωpeirazō · to test/tempt: temptG3985
- when he is drawn awayἐξέλκωexelkō · to drag out/awayG1828
- ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
- his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- lustἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- enticedδελεάζωdeleazō · to enticeG1185
Cross-references for James 1:14
- James 4:1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you?
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil.
- Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. He said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humans, even though from birth their hearts are set on nothing but evil. I will never again kill every living creature as I have just done.
- Joshua 7:21I saw a fine robe from Babylonia, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing about one pound among the loot. I wanted them, so I took them. You will find them buried inside my tent with the silver beneath them.”
- 2 Samuel 11:2Now, when evening came, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the royal palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and she was very pretty.
- 1 Kings 21:2Ahab told Naboth, “Give me your vineyard. It will become my vegetable garden because it is near my house. I will give you a better vineyard for it. Or if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price for it.”
- Job 31:9“If I have been seduced by a woman or I have secretly waited near my neighbor’s door,
- Job 31:27so that my heart was secretly tempted, and I threw them a kiss with my hand,
- Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.
- Isaiah 44:20They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can’t rescue themselves or ask themselves, “Isn’t what I hold in my right hand a false god?”
- Hosea 13:9You are destroying yourself, Israel. You are against me, your helper.
- Matthew 5:28But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.
- Matthew 15:18But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean.
- Mark 7:21Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder,
- Mark 7:22adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person.
- Romans 7:11Sin, taking the opportunity provided by this commandment, deceived me and then killed me.
Commentaries on James 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14But every man is tempted - Successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust - when, giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that to which he is solicited by the enemy of his soul. Among the rabbins we find some fine sayings on this subject. In Midrash hanaalam, fol. 20, and Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, it is said: "This is the custom of evil concupiscence, הרע יצר yetser hara : To-day it saith, Do this; to-morrow…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust - That is, the fountain or source of all temptation is in man himself. It is true that external inducements to sin may be placed before him, but they would have no force if there was not something in himself to which they corresponded, and over which they might have power. There must be some “lust;” some desire; some inclination; something which is unsatisfied now, which is made the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 It is not every man who suffers, that is blessed; but he who with patience and constancy goes through all difficulties in the way of duty. Afflictions cannot make us miserable, if it be not our own fault. The tried Christian shall be a crowned one. The crown of life is promised to all who have the love of God reigning in their hearts. Every soul that truly loves God, shall have its trials in this world fully recompensed in that world above…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Desires can work like hooks used for fishing or traps set up for hunting. These desires tempt (or lure) us to do wrong things and pull us away from being faithful to God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Every man, when tempted, is so through being drawn away of (again here, as in Jas 1:13, the Greek for "of" expresses the actual source, rather than the agent of temptation) his own lust. The cause of sin is in ourselves. Even Satan's suggestions do not endanger us before they are made our own. Each one has his own peculiar (so the Greek) lust, arising from his own temperament and habit. Lust flows from the original birth-sin in man, inherited from…Read the comment
Topics related to James 1:14
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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