New Living Translation
James 2:11
11For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
James 2:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
- New International Version (NIV)For 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Context of James 2:11
9But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 10For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. 12So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
Read all of James 2James 2:11 word by word
ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, εἶπεν καὶ μὴ φονεύσῃς. εἰ δὲ οὐ μοιχεύεις φονεύεις δέ, γέγονας παραβάτης νόμου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- he that saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Doμοιχεύωmoicheuō · to commit adulteryG3431
- notμήmē · notG3361
- alsoκαίkai · andG2532
- Doφονεύωphoneuō · to murderG5407
- Nowδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- noοὐou · noG3756
- thou art becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- a transgressorπαραβάτηςparabatēs · transgresorG3848
- of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
Cross-references for James 2:11
- Exodus 20:13“You must not murder.
- Deuteronomy 5:17“You must not murder.
- Matthew 5:21“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
- Matthew 19:18“Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.
- Mark 10:19But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”
- Luke 18:20But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”
- Romans 13:9For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Leviticus 4:2“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the Lord’s commands.
- Psalms 130:3Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?
Commentaries on James 2:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11For he that said - That is, the authority that gave one commandment gave also the rest; and he who breaks one resists this authority; so that the breach of any one commandment may be justly considered a breach of the whole law. It was a maxim also among the Jewish doctors that, if a man kept any one commandment carefully, though he broke all the rest, he might assure himself of the favor of God; for while they taught that "He who transgresses all the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill - That is, these are parts of the same law of God, and one is as obligatory as the other. If, therefore, you violate either of these precepts, you transgress the law of God as such, and must be held to be guilty of violating it as a whole. The penalty of the law will be incurred, whatever precept you violate.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-13James uses the Bible to argue against the common practice of favoring wealthy and powerful people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. He is One who gave the whole law; therefore, they who violate His will in one point, violate it all [Bengel]. The law and its Author alike have a complete unity. adultery ... kill--selected as being the most glaring cases of violation of duty towards one's neighbor.Read the comment
Topics related to James 2:11
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries