17
EveryΠᾶσαgoodἀγαθὴgivingδόσιςandκαὶeveryπᾶνperfectτέλειονgiftδώρημαisἐστινfrom above,ἄνωθένcoming downκαταβαῖνονfromἀπὸthe Fatherτοῦ πατρὸςof lights,τῶν φώτωνwithπαρ’whomᾧthere isἔνιnoοὐκvariationπαραλλαγὴorἢshadowἀποσκίασμαof turning.τροπῆς
James 1:17
Study it in the app“Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
With the Greek beneath
James 1:17, word by word
- goodἀγαθὴagathē
good
Being as it should be and doing others good; in the full sense, God alone.
Where else “agathē” appears- givingδόσιςdosis
gift
What is received as a present.
Where else “dosis” appears- perfectτέλειονteleion
perfect
Whole, lacking nothing.
Where else “teleion” appears- giftδώρημαdōrēma
gift
Gift: what is given freely.
Where else “dōrēma” appears- isἐστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- from aboveἄνωθένanōthen
from above
From above, from God.
Where else “anōthen” appears- coming downκαταβαῖνονkatabainon
go down, come down
Go down, come down, descend.
Where else “katabainon” appears- the Fatherπατρὸςpatros
Father
God, who gives life and cares for his own; the Father of Jesus.
Where else “patros” appears- of lightsφώτωνphōtōn
light
Light from the sun, a lamp or heaven.
Where else “phōtōn” appears- there isἔνιeni
there is, is found
There is, is found; it has a place in something.
Where else “eni” appears- variationπαραλλαγὴparallagē
variation, change
Variation, change.
Where else “parallagē” appears- shadowἀποσκίασμαaposkiasma
shadow
Shadow, a shadow cast by something.
Where else “aposkiasma” appears- of turningτροπῆςtropēs
turning, shifting
Turning, shifting of position, as of the heavenly bodies.
Where else “tropēs” appears
Translation note
“Father of lights”: it can be understood as the Creator of the heavenly bodies (compare Genesis 1:14-16, where they are called “lights”).
The context
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 · This verse (above)
18Because he willed it, he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
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?