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There isἐστινoneεἷςlawgiverνομοθέτηςandκαὶjudge,κριτήςthe one who is ableὁ δυνάμενοςto saveσῶσαιandκαὶto destroy.ἀπολέσαιButδὲwhoτίςareεἶyouσὺto judgeὁ κρίνωνyour neighbor?τὸν πλησίον
James 4:12
Study it in the app“There is one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”
With the Greek beneath
James 4:12, word by word
- There isἐστινestin
there is
Something exists somewhere, or happens.
Where else “estin” appears- oneεἷςheis
single
Just one, or united as one.
Where else “heis” appears- lawgiverνομοθέτηςnomothetēs
lawgiver
Lawgiver: the one who gives the law.
Where else “nomothetēs” appears- judgeκριτήςkritēs
judge
Judge: one who decides a case; also one who rules.
Where else “kritēs” appears- the one who is ableδυνάμενοςdynamenos
can, be able
Can, be able.
Where else “dynamenos” appears- to saveσῶσαιsōsai
save
To rescue from sin and ruin.
Where else “sōsai” appears- to destroyἀπολέσαιapolesai
destroy
To do away with someone or something: take a life or ruin it.
Where else “apolesai” appears- to judgeκρίνωνkrinōn
condemn
To pass opinion on others so as to condemn them, setting oneself above them.
Where else “krinōn” appears- your neighborπλησίονplēsion
neighbor
The other person, whom you must love as yourself.
Where else “plēsion” appears
The context
11Do not speak against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 · This verse (above)
13Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit,
To study James 4 in a group
1. What it says
Where does James say the fights and quarrels among you come from (v. 1-3)?
2. What it means
James says "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (v. 8). What other instructions does he give around that phrase (v. 7-10)?
3. How I live it
James invites us to make plans saying "if the Lord wills" (v. 15). What plan of yours today can you put in God's hands?