James 2:19

James 2:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
• New International Version (NIV)You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
• New King James Version (NKJV)You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Context of James 2:19

17In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn’t cause you to do any good things. 18Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do. You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear. 20You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? 21Didn’t our ancestor Abraham receive God’s approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar?

James 2:19 word by word

σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός· καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thouσύsu · youG4771
• believestπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• there isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thou doestποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• wellκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573
• the devilsδαιμόνιονdaimonion · demonG1140
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• trembleφρίσσωphrissō · to shudderG5425

Cross-references for James 2:19

• Deuteronomy 6:4Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is the only God.
• Isaiah 43:10“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord. “I have chosen you as my servant so that you can know and believe in me and understand that I am the one ⌞who did this⌟. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.
• Isaiah 44:6The Lord is Israel’s king and defender. He is the Lord of Armies. This is what the Lord says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.
• Isaiah 45:6so that from the east to the west people will know that there is no God except me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.
• Isaiah 46:9Remember the first events, because I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there’s no one like me.
• Zechariah 14:9The Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be the only Lord and his name the only name.
• Mark 12:29Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.
• John 17:3This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
• Romans 3:30since it is the same God who approves circumcised people by faith and uncircumcised people through this same faith.
• 1 Corinthians 8:4Now about eating food that was offered to false gods: We know that the false gods in this world don’t really exist and that no god exists except the one God.
• Galatians 3:20A mediator is not used when there is only one person involved, and God has acted on his own.
• Ephesians 4:5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
• 1 Timothy 2:5There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and humans—a human, Christ Jesus.
• Jude 1:4Some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. Not long ago they were condemned in writing for the following reason: They are people to whom God means nothing. They use God’s kindness as an excuse for sexual freedom and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
• James 2:8You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
• Jonah 4:4The Lord asked, “What right do you have to be angry?”

Commentaries on James 2:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Thou believest that there is one God - This is the faith in which these persons put their hope of pleasing God, and of obtaining eternal life. Believing in the being and unity of God distinguished them from all the nations of the world; and having been circumcised, and thus brought into the covenant, they thought themselves secure of salvation. The insufficiency of this St. James immediately shows. The devils also believe, and tremble - It is well to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Thou believest that there is one God - One of the great and cardinal doctrines of religion is here selected as an illustration of all. The design of the apostle seems to have been to select one of the doctrines of religion, the belief of which would - if mere belief in any doctrine could - save the soul; and to show that even this might be held as an article of faith by those who could be supposed by no one to have any claim to the name of Christian. He…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. 19that God is one (or there is one God): This is the core belief of Israel's faith (see Deuteronomy 6:4). the demons believe: They know there is one God, and he is their enemy (Mark 1:24).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Thou--emphatic. Thou self-deceiving claimant to faith without works. that there is one God--rather, "that God is one": God's existence, however, is also asserted. The fundamental article of the creed of Jews and Christians alike, and the point of faith on which especially the former boasted themselves, as distinguishing them from the Gentiles, and hence adduced by James here. thou doest well--so far good. But unless thy faith goes farther than an…Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:19

• Demons
• Faith
• Fear of God
• Hypocrisy
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Convince
• Daemon
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich

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