James 2:21–24
Abraham: his faith worked together with his deeds
Study it word by word21Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works faith was brought to completion,
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.
24You see that a person is declared righteous by works and not by faith alone.
In its context
19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.
20But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?
…
25And in the same way was not Rahab the prostitute also declared righteous by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26For just as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Its words in the original
- ἈβραὰμAbraam· Abraham
Abraham, the father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised to bless all the families of the earth through his offspring.
- πατὴρpatēr· father, Father
Father; also ancestor.
- ἔργωνergōn· work
Work, deed, what someone does.
- ἐδικαιώθηedikaiōthē· declare righteous
Declare righteous: pronounce someone right before God, acquit; also show to be right. In the passive, "be declared righteous", "be acquitted".
- ἀνενέγκαςanenenkas· take up, offer
Take up, lead up; also offer on the altar; bear.
- ἸσαὰκIsaak· Isaac
Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, the son of the promise.
- υἱὸνhuion· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- θυσιαστήριονthysiastērion· altar
Altar.
- βλέπειςblepeis· see, look
See, look; watch out.
- πίστιςpistis· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- συνήργειsynērgei· work together
Work together with someone, cooperate.
- ἐτελειώθηeteleiōthē· complete, perfect
Finish, complete; make perfect.
- ἐπληρώθηeplērōthē· fulfill, fill
Fill; fulfill: bring about what a word announced.
- γραφὴgraphē· Scripture
Scripture: the sacred text; "the Scriptures", the Old Testament.
- λέγουσαlegousa· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ἘπίστευσενEpisteusen· believe
Believe, trust.
- θεῷtheōi· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἐλογίσθηelogisthē· reckon, consider
Count, reckon, consider.
- δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosynēn· righteousness
Righteousness: what is right before God, and living by it.
- φίλοςphilos· friend
Friend.
- ἐκλήθηeklēthē· call
Call; name; invite.
- ὁρᾶτεhorate· see
See, look; notice.
- ἄνθρωποςanthrōpos· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- μόνονmonon· only, alone
Alone, only.