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.
• New International Version (NIV)But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
• 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.

Context of James 2:9

7Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But 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. 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 2:9 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 dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
• Leviticus 19:15“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.
• John 8:9When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.
• John 16:8And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
• 1 Corinthians 14:24But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say.
• Jude 1:15to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
• Romans 3:20For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
• Romans 7:7Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”
• Galatians 2:19For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.
• 1 John 3:4Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

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