James 2:19 BSB — MannaFest

James 2:19

You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.

KJV

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

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Commentary

2 voices

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on James (1107)

This does not contradict the words of the blessed Paul, for the word "faith" is used in a twofold sense: sometimes meaning a simple agreement of the mind with a phenomenon, since we customarily call even this faith (which is why even the demons believe …

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Thou believest there is one God - I allow this: but this proves only that thou hast the same faith with the devils. Nay, they not only believe, but tremble - At the dreadful expectation of eternal torments. So far is that faith from either justifying or saving them that have it.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Thou believest that there is one God - One of the great and cardinal doctrines of religion is here selected as an illustration of all. The design of the apostle seems to have been to select one of the doctrines of religion, the belief of which would - if mere belief in any doctrine could - save the soul; and to show that even this might be held as an article of faith by those who could be supposed by no one to have any claim to the name of Christian.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

But unless thy faith goes farther than an assent to this truth, "the evil spirits (literally, 'demons': 'devil' is the term restricted to Satan, their head) believe" so far in common with thee, "and (so far from being saved by such a faith) shudder (so the Greek)," Mt 8:29;

Modern Voices1 voice

Reinhard Bonnke

1940–2019

Faith: The Link with God’s Power (CfaN Bible study series)

Their theology was sound but useless; they were sham believers. James said they were lovers of money who were impatient with God, and using them as an example, he said faith that does not work is not faith.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
σὺ	su	You yourself	G4771 →
πιστεύεις	pisteueis	believe	G4100 →
ὅτι	hoti	that	G3754 →
εἷς	heis	one	G1520 →
ἐστιν	estin	is	G1510 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
θεός·	theos	God;	G2316 →
καλῶς	kalōs	Well	G2573 →
ποιεῖς·	poieis	you are doing!	G4160 →
καὶ	kai	Even	G2532 →
τὰ	ta	the	G3588 →
δαιμόνια	daimonia	demons	G1140 →
πιστεύουσιν	pisteuousin	believe [that]	G4100 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
φρίσσουσιν.	phrissousin	shudder!	G5425 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
leads to
- Mark 12:29–32
  Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
- Isaiah 44:6
  Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
- 1 Timothy 2:5
  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
- Isaiah 45:5–6
  I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
- John 17:3
  Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
Through
Matthew 8:29
“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
leads to
- Mark 1:24
  “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Mark 5:7
  And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”
  Reached by 3 independent paths from here.
- Luke 4:34
  “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.

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About James

The Feeding of the Multitude — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

James: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: James 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About James

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About James