Focused Passage

James 2:1-7

Mercy, Partiality, and Living Faith

James moves from condemning favoritism in the assembly, to exposing partiality as lawbreaking, to calling believers to mercy before judgment, and finally to demonstrating that genuine faith is living, active, and completed in works.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.

2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

3If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

MyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularbrothersἈδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine Pluralas you hold outἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural[your]τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfaithπίστινG4102Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularinτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargloriousδόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularLordΚυρίουG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular{do} notμὴG3361Adverb[show]ἐνG1722PrepositionfavoritismπροσωπολημψίαιςG4382Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Verse 2

Original words

vvvγὰρG1063ConjunctionSupposeἘὰνG1437Conjunctiona manἀνὴρG435Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularcomesεἰσέλθῃG1525Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularintoεἰςG1519PrepositionyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralmeetingσυναγωγὴνG4864Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[wearing] a gold ringχρυσοδακτύλιοςG5554Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular[and]ἐνG1722PrepositionfineλαμπρᾷG2986Adjective - Dative Feminine SingularclothesἐσθῆτιG2066Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandδὲG1161Conjunctiona poor [man]πτωχὸςG4434Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionshabbyῥυπαρᾷG4508Adjective - Dative Feminine SingularclothesἐσθῆτιG2066Noun - Dative Feminine SingularalsoκαὶG2532Conjunctioncomes inεἰσέλθῃG1525Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Greek your synagogue
Verse 3

Original words

[If]δὲG1161Conjunctionyou lavish attentionἐπιβλέψητεG1914Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralonἐπὶG1909Prepositionthe [man]τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularinφοροῦνταG5409Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfineλαμπρὰνG2986Adjective - Accusative Feminine SingularclothesἐσθῆταG2066Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionsayεἴπητεG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural-ΣὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person SingularHere [is]ὧδεG5602Adverba seatκάθουG2521Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singularof honorκαλῶςG2573Adverb[but]καὶG2532ConjunctionsayεἴπητεG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Pluralto theτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularpoor [man]πτωχῷG4434Adjective - Dative Masculine SingularYouΣὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singularmust standστῆθιG2476Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singularor«ἢG2228ConjunctionSitΚάθου»G2521Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person SingularvvvἐκεῖG1563AdverbatὑπὸG5259PrepositionmyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularfeetὑποπόδιόνG5286Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 4

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756Adverbhave you not discriminatedδιεκρίθητεG1252Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 2nd Person PluralamongἐνG1722PrepositionyourselvesἑαυτοῖςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionbecomeἐγένεσθεG1096Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Pluraljudges [with]κριταὶG2923Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralevilπονηρῶνG4190Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralthoughtsδιαλογισμῶνG1261Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 5

Original words

ListenἈκούσατεG191Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralmyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularbelovedἀγαπητοίG27Adjective - Vocative Masculine PluralbrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural{Has} notοὐχG3756Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularchosenἐξελέξατοG1586Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingulartheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralpoorπτωχοὺςG4434Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularof this worldκόσμῳG2889Noun - Dative Masculine Singular[to be] richπλουσίουςG4145Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionfaithπίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionto inheritκληρονόμουςG2818Noun - Accusative Masculine PluraltheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularkingdomβασιλείαςG932Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-ἧςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine SingularHe promisedἐπηγγείλατοG1861Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singularthose whoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralloveἀγαπῶσινG25Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine PluralHimαὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 6

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionyouὑμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Pluralhave dishonoredἠτιμάσατεG818Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularpoorπτωχόνG4434Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular[Is it] notοὐχG3756AdverbtheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralrichπλούσιοιG4145Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralwho oppressκαταδυναστεύουσινG2616Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralyouὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-αὐτοὶG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person PluraldragἕλκουσινG1670Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person PluralintoεἰςG1519PrepositioncourtκριτήριαG2922Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 7

Original words

{Are} theyαὐτοὶG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person PluralnotοὐκG3756Adverbthe ones who blasphemeβλασφημοῦσινG987Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularnobleκαλὸνG2570Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularnameὄνομαG3686Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularby whichἐφ’G1909PrepositionyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularhave been calledἐπικληθὲνG1941Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Or the noble name invoked upon you or the noble name of Him to whom you belong

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.