God’s Word Translation
James 2:3
3Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.”
James 2:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
- New International Version (NIV)If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet,"
- New King James Version (NKJV)and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
Context of James 2:3
1My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another. 2For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” 4Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments? 5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
Read all of James 2James 2:3 word by word
ἐπιβλέψητε δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν φοροῦντα τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν λαμπρὰν καὶ εἴπητε σὺ κάθου ὧδε καλῶς, καὶ τῷ πτωχῷ εἴπητε· σὺ στῆθι ἢ κάθου ὑπὸ τὸ ὑποπόδιόν μου,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- ye have respectἐπιβλέπωepiblepō · to look upon/atG1914
- toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- wearethφορέωphoreō · to wearG5409
- the gayλαμπρόςlampros · shiningG2986
- clothingἐσθήςesthēs · clothingG2066
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Sitκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
- in a good placeκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573
- to the poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
- Standἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- thereἐκεῖekei · thereG1563
- orἤē · orG2228
- underὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- footstoolὑποπόδιονhupopodion · footstoolG5286
Cross-references for James 2:3
- Jude 1:16These people complain, find fault, follow their own desires, say arrogant things, and flatter people in order to take advantage of them.
- James 2:6Yet, you show no respect to poor people. Don’t rich people oppress you and drag you into court?
- Isaiah 65:5They said, “Stay away! Don’t touch me! I’m holier than you are.” They have become like smoke in my nose, like a smoldering fire all day long.
- Luke 7:44Then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “You see this woman, don’t you? I came into your house. You didn’t wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
- 2 Corinthians 8:9You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty.
Commentaries on James 2:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Sit here under my footstool - Thus evidently prejudging the cause, and giving the poor man to see that he was to expect no impartial administration of justice in his cause.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing - If you show him superior attention on account of his rich and gay apparel, giving him a seat by himself, and treating others with neglect or contempt. Religion does not forbid proper respect to rank, to office, to age, or to distinguished talents and services, though even in such cases it does not require that we should feel that such persons have any peculiar claims to salvation, or that they are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4People often focus on wealthy individuals due to their social status, political power, and potential generosity. By serving and publicly honoring the wealthy, the church could receive economic benefits. James warns that this favoritism shows evil motives, creating a divide between loyalty to God and a desire for worldly wealth (1:6; 4:4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. "If there chance to have come" [Alford]. assembly--literally, "synagogue"; this, the latest honorable use, and the only Christian use of the term in the New Testament, occurs in James's Epistle, the apostle who maintained to the latest possible moment the bonds between the Jewish synagogue and the Christian Church. Soon the continued resistance of the truth by the Jews led Christians to leave the term to them exclusively (Re 3:9). The "synagogue"…Read the comment
Topics related to James 2:3
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
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