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:
• New International Version (NIV)If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
• 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;

Context of James 2:8

6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

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

• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• Ifμέντοιmentoi · yetG3305
• fulfilτελέωteleō · to finishG5055
• royalβασιλικόςbasilikos · royalG937
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• toκατάkata · according toG2596
• scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
• loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• thyσοῦsou · youG4675
• neighbourπλησίονplēsion · near/neighborG4139
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• thyselfσεαυτοῦseautou seautō seauton sautou sautō sauton · yourselfG4572
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• wellκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573

Cross-references for James 2:8

• James 2:12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
• James 1:25But he who looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
• 1 Peter 2:9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a special people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
• Leviticus 19:18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
• Matthew 22:39And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
• Mark 12:31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
• Luke 10:27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
• Romans 13:8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
• Galatians 5:14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
• Galatians 6:2Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9But concerning brotherly love ye need not that I write to you: for ye yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
• James 2:19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble.
• 1 Kings 8:18And the LORD said to David my father, Though it was in thy heart to build an house to my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart.
• 2 Kings 7:9Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
• Jonah 4:4Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
• Matthew 25:21His lord said to him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

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