21
Was notοὐκAbrahamἈβραὰμour fatherὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶνdeclared righteousἐδικαιώθηbyἐξworksἔργωνwhen he offered upἀνενέγκαςIsaacἸσαὰκhis sonτὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦonἐπὶthe altar?τὸ θυσιαστήριον
James 2:21
Study it in the app“Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?”
Abraham: his faith worked together with his deedsFaith
With the Greek beneath
James 2:21, word by word
- AbrahamἈβραὰμAbraam
Abraham
Abraham, the father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised to bless all the families of the earth through his offspring.
Where else “Abraam” appears- our fatherπατὴρpatēr
forefather
An ancestor: Abraham as the founder of the family.
Where else “patēr” appears- declared righteousἐδικαιώθηedikaiōthē
declare righteous
God pronouncing you in the right and forgiving you.
Where else “edikaiōthē” appears- worksἔργωνergōn
deed
What someone does, their conduct.
Where else “ergōn” appears- when he offered upἀνενέγκαςanenenkas
offer up
To present a sacrifice on the altar.
Where else “anenenkas” appears- IsaacἸσαὰκIsaak
Isaac
Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, the son of the promise.
Where else “Isaak” appears- his sonυἱὸνhuion
son
A son.
Where else “huion” appears- the altarθυσιαστήριονthysiastērion
altar
Altar.
Where else “thysiastērion” appears
Translation note
Recalls Genesis 22. “Declare righteous” is the same verb Paul uses in Romans 4:2-5 of Abraham, declared righteous by faith. Here 2:22-23 joins Abraham’s works with his faith; it can be understood that James uses the verb for the works that show that faith.
The context
20But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?
21 · This verse (above)
22You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works faith was brought to completion,
To study James 2 in a group
1. What it says
What situation does James describe with the man in the gold ring and the poor man, and what does he say about it (v. 1-4)?
2. What it means
James says faith without works is dead (v. 14-17). What example does he use, and what is he trying to show?
3. How I live it
Whom could you treat today with the same attention you would give to someone important?