James 2:9

James 2:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

Context of James 2:9

7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But 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. 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

James 2:9 word by word

εἰ δὲ προσωπολημπτεῖτε, ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεσθε ἐλεγχόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου ὡς παραβάται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• ye have respect to personsπροσωποληπτέωprosōpolēpteō · to favorG4380
• ye commitἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• and are convincedἐλέγχωelegchō · to rebukeG1651
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• transgressorsπαραβάτηςparabatēs · transgresorG3848

Cross-references for James 2:9

• James 2:1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
• Leviticus 19:15“ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
• John 8:9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
• John 16:8When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
• 1 Corinthians 14:24But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all,
• Jude 1:15to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
• 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.
• Romans 7:7What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
• Galatians 2:19“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
• 1 John 3:4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Commentaries on James 2:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9But if ye have respect to persons - In judgment, or in any other way; ye commit sin against God, and against your brethren, and are convinced, , and are convicted, by the law; by this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; as transgressors, having shown this sinful acceptance of persons, which has led you to refuse justice to the poor man, and uphold the rich in his oppressive conduct.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin - You transgress the plain law of God, and do wrong. See the references on James 2:1. And are convinced of the law as transgressors - Greek “By the law.” The word convinced is now used in a somewhat different sense from what it was formerly. It now commonly refers to the impression made on a man‘s mind by showing him the truth of a thing which before was doubted, or in respect to which the evidence was not…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Favoritism opposes the command to love your neighbor (2:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Respect of persons violates the command to love all alike "as thyself." ye commit sin--literally, "ye work sin," Mt 7:23, to which the reference here is probably, as in Jas 1:22. Your works are sin, whatever boast of the law ye make in words (see on Jas 2:8). convinced--Old English for "convicted." as transgressors--not merely of this or that particular command, but of the whole absolutely.Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:9

• Commandments
• Faith
• Neighbor
• Poor
• Religion
• Respect of Persons
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich
• Sister
• Convict; Conviction
• Papyrus

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