God’s Word Translation
James 2:10
10If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them.
James 2:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
- New International Version (NIV)For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Context of James 2:10
8You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9If you favor one person over another, you’re sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient. If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them. 11After all, the one who said, “Never commit adultery,” is the same one who said, “Never murder.” If you do not commit adultery but you murder, you become a person who disobeys God’s laws. 12Talk and act as people who are going to be judged by laws that bring freedom.
Read all of James 2James 2:10 word by word
ὅστις γὰρ ὅλον τὸν νόμον τηρήσῃ, πταίσῃ δὲ ἐν ἑνί, γέγονεν πάντων ἔνοχος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whosoeverὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- shall keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
- the wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
- lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- and yetδέde · thenG1161
- offendπταίωptaiō · to stumbleG4417
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- he isγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- guilty ofἔνοχοςenochos · liable forG1777
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
Cross-references for James 2:10
- Deuteronomy 27:26“Whoever doesn’t obey every word of these teachings will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
- Matthew 5:18I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from the Scriptures before everything has come true.
- Galatians 3:10Certainly, there is a curse on all who rely on their own efforts because Scripture says, “Whoever doesn’t obey everything that is written in Moses’ Teachings is cursed.”
Commentaries on James 2:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, etc. - This is a rabbinical form of speech. In the tract Shabbath, fol. 70, where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works commanded by Moses, Rabbi Yochanan says: But if a man do the whole, with the omission of one, he is guilty of the whole, and of every one. In Bammidar rabba, sec. 9, fol. 200, and in Tanchum, fol. 60, there is a copious example given, how an adulteress, by that one crime, breaks all the ten…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law - All except the single point referred to. The apostle does not say that this in fact ever did occur, but he says that if it should, and yet a man should have failed in only one particular, he must be judged to be guilty. The case supposed seems to be that of one who claimed that he had kept the whole law. The apostle says that even if this should be admitted for the time to be true in all other respects, yet, if he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-13James uses the Bible to argue against the common practice of favoring wealthy and powerful people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. The best manuscripts read, "Whosoever shall have kept the whole law, and yet shall have offended (literally, 'stumbled'; not so strong as 'fall,' Ro 11:11) in one (point; here, the respecting of persons), is (hereby) become guilty of all." The law is one seamless garment which is rent if you but rend a part; or a musical harmony which is spoiled if there be one discordant note [Tirinus]; or a golden chain whose completeness is broken if you break one…Read the comment
Topics related to James 2:10
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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