23
Forὅτιifεἴanyoneτιςisἐστὶνa hearerἀκροατὴςof the wordλόγουandκαὶnotοὐa doer,ποιητήςheοὗτοςis likeἔοικενa manἀνδρὶlooking closely atκατανοοῦντιthe faceτὸ πρόσωπονhe was born withτῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦinἐνa mirror;ἐσόπτρῳ
James 1:23
Study it in the app“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking closely at the face he was born with in a mirror;”
James: don't just listen; whoever looks and does not act forgets what they looked likeThe Word of GodBe doers of the word, and not hearers onlyObedience
With the Greek beneath
James 1:23, word by word
- isἐστὶνestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- a hearerἀκροατὴςakroatēs
hearer
Hearer: someone who listens.
Where else “akroatēs” appears- of the wordλόγουlogou
message
What God says, proclaimed to people.
Where else “logou” appears- a doerποιητήςpoiētēs
doer
One who puts the word or the law into practice.
Where else “poiētēs” appears- is likeἔοικενeoiken
be like
Be like, resemble.
Where else “eoiken” appears- a manἀνδρὶandri
man
An adult male, as distinct from a woman or a child.
Where else “andri” appears- looking closely atκατανοοῦντιkatanoounti
consider, notice
Notice, consider carefully, observe.
Where else “katanoounti” appears- the faceπρόσωπονprosōpon
face
The front of the head, where the eyes and the expression are seen.
Where else “prosōpon” appears- he was born withγενέσεωςgeneseōs
birth
Coming into the world.
Where else “geneseōs” appears- a mirrorἐσόπτρῳesoptrōi
mirror
Mirror: a polished metal surface in which one sees oneself.
Where else “esoptrōi” appears
Translation note
“The face he was born with”: literally “the face of his origin,” his natural face.
The context
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 · This verse (above)
24for he looked at himself and has gone away and at once forgot what kind of man he was.
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?