James 3:13

James 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
• New International Version (NIV)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

Context of James 3:13

11Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce fresh water. Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. 15That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic.

James 3:13 word by word

Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whoτίςtis · which?G5101
• a wise manσοφόςsophos · wiseG4680
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• endued with knowledgeἐπιστήμωνepistēmōn · knowingG1990
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• youσύsu · youG4771
• let him shewδεικνύωdeiknuō · to showG1166
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• a goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• conversationἀναστροφήanastrophē · behaviourG391
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
• of wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678

Cross-references for James 3:13

• James 3:1Brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers. You know that we who teach will be judged more severely.
• Psalms 107:43Let those who ⌞think⌟ they are wise pay attention to these things so that they may understand the Lord’s blessings.
• Ecclesiastes 8:1Who is really wise? Who knows how to explain things? Wisdom makes one’s face shine, and it changes one’s grim look.
• Jeremiah 9:12No one is wise enough to understand this. To whom has the Lord revealed this so that they can explain it? The land dies; it has been ruined like the desert so that no one can travel through it.
• Matthew 7:24“Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock.
• 1 Corinthians 6:5You should be ashamed of yourselves! Don’t you have at least one wise person who is able to settle disagreements between believers?
• Galatians 6:4Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.
• 2 Chronicles 2:12Huram added, “May the Lord God of Israel be praised. He made the heavens and the earth and has given King David a wise son who has insight and intelligence and can build the Lord’s temple and a royal palace.
• Job 28:28So he told humans, ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom! To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”
• Isaiah 11:3He will gladly bear the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear.
• Daniel 2:21He changes times and periods of history. He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who have insight.
• James 2:18Another 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.
• Isaiah 60:6“Many camels will cover your ⌞land⌟, young camels from Midian and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and incense. They will sing the praises of the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 8:24So give these men a demonstration of your love. Show their congregations that we were right to be proud of you.
• 1 Peter 2:9However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
• Philippians 1:27Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I’ll hear all about you. I’ll hear that you are firmly united in spirit, united in fighting for the faith that the Good News brings.

Commentaries on James 3:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Who is a wise man - One truly religious; who, although he can neither bridle nor tame other men's tongues, can restrain his own. And endued with knowledge - · And qualified to teach others. Let him show - Let him by a holy life and chaste conversation show, through meekness and gentleness, joined to his Divine information, that he is a Christian indeed; his works and his spirit proving that God is in him of a truth; and that, from the fullness of a holy…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? - This is spoken with reference to the work of public teaching; and the meaning of the apostle is, that if there were such persons among them, they should be selected for that office. The characteristics here stated as necessary qualifications, are wisdom and knowledge. Those, it would seem, on which reliance had been placed, were chiefly those which were connected with a ready elocution, or the mere…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. 13Who is wise and understanding among you: The wisdom from God is not only skill of intelligence or a collection of facts (1:5). It is practical insight and spiritual understanding that shows in moral behavior, as described in 3:17–18 (see also Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:2–4; 2:10–15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Who--(Compare Psa 34:12, 13). All wish to appear "wise": few are so. show--"by works," and not merely by profession, referring to Jas 2:18. out of a good conversation his works--by general "good conduct" manifested in particular "works." "Wisdom" and "knowledge," without these being "shown," are as dead as faith would be without works [Alford]. with meekness of wisdom--with the meekness inseparable from true "wisdom."Read the comment

Topics related to James 3:13

• Meekness
• Minister, Christian
• Righteousness
• Speaking
• Wisdom
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Wise, Man
• Course
• Governor
• Meekness
• Obey
• Offend
• Ought
• Tame
• Conversation
• good, right, pleasant, better, best, goodness

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