James 2:8

James 2:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
• English Standard Version (ESV)If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
• New Living Translation (NLT)Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Context of James 2:8

6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

James 2:8 word by word

εἰ μέντοι νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν κατὰ τὴν γραφήν· ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• ·μέντοιmentoi · yetG3305
• ye fulfilτελέωteleō · to finishG5055
• the royalβασιλικόςbasilikos · royalG937
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• the scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
• Thou shalt loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• neighbourπλησίονplēsion · near/neighborG4139
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• thyselfσεαυτοῦseautou seautō seauton sautou sautō sauton · yourselfG4572
• ye doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• wellκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573

Cross-references for James 2:8

• James 2:12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
• James 1:25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
• 1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
• Leviticus 19:18“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
• Matthew 22:39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
• Mark 12:31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
• Luke 10:27He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
• Romans 13:8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
• Galatians 5:14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Galatians 6:2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
• James 2:19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
• 1 Kings 8:18But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name.
• 2 Kings 7:9Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”
• Jonah 4:4But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
• Matthew 25:21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Commentaries on James 2:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The royal law - . This epithet, of all the New Testament writers, is peculiar to James; but it is frequent among the Greek writers in the sense in which it appears St. James uses it. , royal, is used to signify any thing that is of general concern, is suitable to all, and necessary for all, as brotherly love is. This commandment; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, is a royal law, not only because it is ordained of God, and proceeds from his kingly…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8If ye fulfil the royal law - That is, the law which he immediately mentions requiring us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is called a “royal law,” or kingly law, on account of its excellence or nobleness; not because it is ordained by God as a king, but because it has some such prominence and importance among other laws as a king has among other men; that is, it is majestic, noble, worthy of veneration. It is a law which ought to govern and direct us…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Christians should obey (literally fulfill) the royal law, just as Jesus fulfilled the law by coming and teaching ((Matthew 5:17; 22:34–40). It is the royal law because it belongs to the kingdom and our glorious Lord (King) gave it (James 2:5). in Scripture: James shifts from a general mention of the law to a specific commandment from “the holiness code” (Leviticus 19). It explains how we show our love for God through relationships with others (see…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The Greek may be translated, "If, however, ye fulfil," &c., that is, as Alford, after Estius, explains, "Still I do not say, hate the rich (for their oppressions) and drive them from your assemblies; if you choose to observe the royal law ... well and good; but respect of persons is a breach of that law." I think the translation is, "If in very deed (or 'indeed on the one hand') ye fulfil the royal law ... ye do well, but if (on the other hand) ye…Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:8

• Commandments
• Faith
• Love
• Neighbor
• Poor
• Quotations and Allusions
• Religion
• Respect of Persons
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich
• Sister
• Inspiration
• Law in the New Testament

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