Focused Passage

James 4:11-12

Worldliness, Humility, and Life Under God’s Will

James moves from exposing quarrels as the fruit of disordered desires, to rebuking worldliness as spiritual adultery, to calling for humble repentance before God, to condemning slanderous judgment, and finally to warning against arrogant planning that forgets the Lord’s will.

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

11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.

12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 11

Original words

Brothers ἀδελφοί G80 Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural {do} not Μὴ G3361 Adverb slander καταλαλεῖτε G2635 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural one another ἀλλήλων G240 Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural Anyone who G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular speaks against καταλαλῶν G2635 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular [his] brother ἀδελφοῦ G80 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular or G2228 Conjunction judges κρίνων G2919 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular vvv αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular vvv τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular [him] ἀδελφὸν G80 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular speaks against καταλαλεῖ G2635 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [the] law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction judges κρίνει G2919 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [it] νόμον G3551 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular And δὲ G1161 Conjunction if εἰ G1487 Conjunction you judge κρίνεις G2919 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular [the] law νόμον G3551 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular you are εἶ G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular not οὐκ G3756 Adverb a practitioner ποιητὴς G4163 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular of [the] law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular but ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction a judge [of it] κριτής G2923 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

There is ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular only one εἷς G1520 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular Lawgiver νομοθέτης G3550 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction Judge κριτής G2923 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular the [One who] G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular is able δυνάμενος G1410 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular to save σῶσαι G4982 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active and καὶ G2532 Conjunction destroy ἀπολέσαι G622 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active But δὲ G1161 Conjunction who τίς G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular are εἶ G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular you σὺ G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular - G3588 Article - Vocative Masculine Singular to judge κρίνων G2919 Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Masculine Singular [your] τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular neighbor πλησίον G4139 Adverb

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.