James 2:21

James 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
• New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Context of James 2:21

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

James 2:21 word by word

Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Was notοὐou · noG3756
• AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fatherὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• when he had offeredἀναφέρωanapherō · to carry upG399
• IsaacἸσαάκIsaak · IsaacG2464
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379

Cross-references for James 2:21

• Joshua 24:3But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,
• Isaiah 51:2look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.
• Matthew 3:9And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
• Luke 1:73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
• Luke 16:24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
• John 8:39“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.
• Acts 7:2To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.
• Romans 4:1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?
• James 2:18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
• Psalms 143:2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
• Matthew 12:37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
• Matthew 25:31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
• Romans 3:20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
• Genesis 22:9When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

Commentaries on James 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Was not Abraham our father - Did not the conduct of Abraham, in offering up his son Isaac on the altar, sufficiently prove that he believed in God, and that it was his faith in him that led him to this extraordinary act of obedience?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Was not Abraham our father - Our progenitor, our ancestor; using the word “father,” as frequently occurs in the Bible, to denote a remote ancestor. Compare the notes at Matthew 1:1. A reference to his case would have great weight with those who were Jews by birth, and probably most of those to whom this Epistle was addressed were of this character. See the Introduction. Justified by works - That is, in the sense in which James is maintaining that a man…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. 20-26James shows through Scripture that true faith is shown through actions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Abraham ... justified by works--evidentially, and before men (see on Jas 2:18). In Jas 2:23, James, like Paul, recognizes the Scripture truth, that it was his faith that was counted to Abraham for righteousness in his justification before God. when he had offered--rather, "when he offered" [Alford], that is, brought as an offering at the altar; not implying that he actually offered him.Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:21

• Abraham
• Faith
• Hypocrisy
• Isaac
• Justification
• Obedience
• Religion
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Isaac
• Abraham, Abram
• Convince
• 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