Focused Passage

James 2:21-24

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

21Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.

23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

24As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 21

Original words

{Was} notοὐκG3756AdverbourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularfatherπατὴρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularAbrahamἈβραὰμG11Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularjustifiedἐδικαιώθηG1344Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularbyἐξG1537Prepositionwhat he didἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralwhen he offeredἀνενέγκαςG399Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularsonυἱὸνG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularIsaacἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularonἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularaltarθυσιαστήριονG2379Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 22

Original words

You seeβλέπειςG991Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularthatὅτιG3754Conjunction[his]G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularfaithπίστιςG4102Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwas working withσυνήργειG4903Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluralactionsἔργοιςG2041Noun - Dative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction[his]G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularfaithπίστιςG4102Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwas perfectedἐτελειώθηG5048Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositionwhatτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralhe didἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 23

Original words

AndκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularScriptureγραφὴG1124Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwas fulfilledἐπληρώθηG4137Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularthatG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularsaysλέγουσαG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular-δὲG1161ConjunctionAbrahamἈβραὰμG11Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularbelievedἘπίστευσενG4100Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularGodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionit was creditedἐλογίσθηG3049Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularto himαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularasεἰςG1519PrepositionrighteousnessδικαιοσύνηνG1343Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionhe was calledἐκλήθηG2564Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singulara friendφίλοςG5384Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Genesis 15:6
  • See Isaiah 41:8.
Verse 24

Original words

As you can seeὁρᾶτεG3708Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural-ὅτιG3754Conjunctiona manἄνθρωποςG444Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis justifiedδικαιοῦταιG1344Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularbyἐξG1537Preposition[his] deedsἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756AdverbbyἐκG1537PrepositionfaithπίστεωςG4102Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularaloneμόνονG3440Adverb

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.