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James 2:23

“and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness; and he was called a friend of God.”

James 2:23 · direct translation from the Greek
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Abraham: his faith worked together with his deedsFaithAbraham was called the friend of GodFriendship

With the Greek beneath

23

Quotation · Genesis 15:6

Go to Genesis 15:6

James quotes Genesis 15:6 after speaking of the sacrifice of Isaac. “Friend of God” is not in Genesis 15.

Formula: ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα “the Scripture was fulfilled that says” (James 2:23)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה

Septuagint (Genesis 15:6 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ ἐπίστευσεν Ἀβρὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

James 2:23, word by word

the Scriptureγραφὴgraphē

Scripture

Scripture: the sacred text; "the Scriptures", the Old Testament.

Where else “graphē” appears
was fulfilledἐπληρώθηeplērōthē

be fulfilled

For what was foretold to come true.

Where else “eplērōthē” appears
that saysλέγουσαlegousa

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “legousa” appears
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
believedἘπίστευσενEpisteusen

trust

To trust in God or in Jesus.

Where else “Episteusen” appears
Godθεῷtheōi

God

The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.

Where else “theōi” appears
it was countedἐλογίσθηelogisthē

reckon

To put something to someone's account: "it was reckoned as righteousness".

Where else “elogisthē” appears
righteousnessδικαιοσύνηνdikaiosynēn

righteousness

Doing what is just, living as God wants.

Where else “dikaiosynēn” appears
he was calledἐκλήθηeklēthē

call

To give someone a name.

Where else “eklēthē” appears
a friendφίλοςphilos

friend

Friend.

Where else “philos” appears

Translation note

Quotation of Genesis 15:6. “Friend of God” recalls Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Genesis 15:6

James quotes Genesis 15:6 after speaking of the sacrifice of Isaac. “Friend of God” is not in Genesis 15.

See them side by side

James 2:23

23and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness; and he was called a friend of God.

Genesis 15:6

6And he believed in YHWH, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

The context

22You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works faith was brought to completion,

23 · This verse (above)

24You see that a person is declared righteous by works and not by faith alone.

Read all of James 2

To study James 2 in a group

  1. 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. 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. 3. How I live it

    Whom could you treat today with the same attention you would give to someone important?

How to use it