13
Let no oneμηδεὶς λεγέτωsayλεγέτωwhen he is tempted,πειραζόμενος“I am being temptedπειράζομαιbyἈπὸGod,”θεοῦforγὰρGodὁ θεὸςcannot be temptedἀπείραστός ἐστινby evil,κακῶνandδὲhe himselfαὐτὸςtemptsπειράζειno one.οὐδένα
James 1:13
Study it in the app“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
Desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, once full grown, brings forth deathTemptation
With the Greek beneath
James 1:13, word by word
- Let no oneμηδεὶςmēdeis
no one, nothing
No one, nothing.
Where else “mēdeis” appears- Let no oneλεγέτωlegetō
say
To express something in words to others.
Where else “legetō” appears- when he is temptedπειραζόμενοςpeirazomenos
tempt
To push someone to sin, like the devil.
Where else “peirazomenos” appears- Godθεοῦtheou
God
The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.
Where else “theou” appears- cannot be temptedἀπείραστόςapeirastos
cannot be tempted
That cannot be tempted; without experience of something.
Where else “apeirastos” appears- cannot be temptedἐστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- by evilκακῶνkakōn
evil
What goes against God's will and harms others.
Where else “kakōn” appears
Translation note
“Cannot be tempted by evil”: it can also be understood as “has no experience of evil.”
The context
12Happy is the man who endures trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which he promised to those who love him.
13 · This verse (above)
14But each one is tempted by his own desire, being dragged away and enticed.
To study James 1 in a group
1. What it says
What does James say the testing of faith produces, and what should someone do who lacks wisdom (v. 2-5)?
2. What it means
James says it is not enough to hear the word; we must do it (v. 22-25). Why does he use the image of a mirror?
3. How I live it
James speaks of being quick to hear and slow to speak (v. 19). In what conversation today could you listen more?