Focused Passage

James 3:13-18

The Tongue, True Wisdom, and Peaceable Righteousness

James moves from warning teachers about stricter judgment, to exposing the destructive power and inconsistency of the tongue, to contrasting false wisdom marked by envy and selfish ambition with heavenly wisdom that produces peaceable righteousness.

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

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

14But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

15Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

WhoΤίςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular[is] wiseσοφὸςG4680Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionunderstandingἐπιστήμωνG1990Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularamongἐνG1722PrepositionyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralLet him show itδειξάτωG1166Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularbyἐκG1537Preposition[his]τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargoodκαλῆςG2570Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularconductἀναστροφῆςG391Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular[by]αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluraldeeds [done]ἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralinἐνG1722Preposition[the] humilityπραΰτητιG4240Noun - Dative Feminine Singularthat comes from wisdomσοφίαςG4678Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionifεἰG1487Conjunctionyou {harbor}ἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralbitterπικρὸνG4089Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularjealousyζῆλονG2205Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionselfish ambitionἐριθείανG2052Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularheartsκαρδίᾳG2588Noun - Dative Feminine Singular{do} notμὴG3361Adverbboast [in it]κατακαυχᾶσθεG2620Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person PluralorκαὶG2532ConjunctiondenyψεύδεσθεG5574Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural. . .κατὰG2596PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulartruthἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

SuchαὕτηG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίαG4678Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular[does]ἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularcomeκατερχομένηG2718Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singularfrom aboveἄνωθενG509AdverbbutἀλλὰG235Conjunction[is] earthlyἐπίγειοςG1919Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularunspiritualψυχικήG5591Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingulardemonicδαιμονιώδηςG1141Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionwhereὅπουG3699AdverbjealousyζῆλοςG2205Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionselfish ambition [exist]ἐριθείαG2052Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularthere [ will be ]ἐκεῖG1563AdverbdisorderἀκαταστασίαG181Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctioneveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularevilφαῦλονG5337Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularpracticeπρᾶγμαG4229Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Verse 17

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singular[the] wisdomσοφίαG4678Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularfrom aboveἄνωθενG509AdverbisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfirstπρῶτονG4412Adverb - Superlative[of all]μὲνG3303ConjunctionpureἁγνήG53Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularthenἔπειταG1899Adverbpeace-lovingεἰρηνικήG1516Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingulargentleἐπιεικήςG1933Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularaccommodatingεὐπειθήςG2138Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularfullμεστὴG3324Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singularof mercyἐλέουςG1656Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiongoodἀγαθῶνG18Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralfruitκαρπῶνG2590Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralimpartialἀδιάκριτοςG87Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular[and] sincereἀνυπόκριτοςG505Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

vvvτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralvvvποιοῦσινG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine PluralPeacemakersεἰρήνηνG1515Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[who] sowσπείρεταιG4687Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionpeaceεἰρήνῃG1515Noun - Dative Feminine Singular[ reap ]δὲG1161Conjunction[the] fruitκαρπὸςG2590Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof righteousnessδικαιοσύνηςG1343Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Literally But the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those making peace.

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.