James 2:8
in James 2If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:
KJV
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
⋯
This verse in James 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verseIf, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. See how he calls them transgressors, because it is …
This site's exposition
the royal law
on James 2:8-11
Love your neighbor as yourself, from Leviticus 19:18, is named the royal law, and keeping it is doing well. Favoritism breaks it, and whoever stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. The one Lawgiver gave both Do not commit adultery and Do not murder.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. "According to Scripture." Deuteronomy says.
A commentator
Hilary of ArlesINTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES · Written before 449.
proposed
"Love your neighbor" means three different things. The first is corporal, that is, the literal sense of the words. The second is spiritual, according to which we love those close to us even though we may be absent from them. The third is contemplative, by …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Just as you want to be treated justly and properly by your neighbor, so you must behave toward him as you would towards your kinsman and child of God. What our Savior said about this is absolutely right: "Do unto others as you would have …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is not great men, nor worldly wealth, nor corrupt practices among professors themselves, that must guide us, but the scriptures of truth. The scripture gives us this as a law, to love our neighbour as ourselves; it is what still remains in full force, and is rather carried higher and further by Christ than made less important to us.
If ye fulfil the royal law,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The royal law - Νομον βασιλικον. This epithet, of all the New Testament writers, is peculiar to James; but it is frequent among the Greek writers in the sense in which it appears St. James uses it. Βασιλικος, royal, is used to signify any thing that is of general concern, is suitable to all, and necessary for all, as brotherly love is.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
To this the "indeed" alludes. "(Ye rest in the law): If indeed (then) ye fulfil it, ye do well; but if," &c. royal--the law that is king of all laws, being the sum and essence of the ten commandments. The great King, God, is love; His law is the royal law of love, and that law, like Himself, reigns supreme.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
If ye fulfil the royal law - That is, the law which he immediately mentions requiring us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is called a “royal law,” or kingly law, on account of its excellence or nobleness; not because it is ordained by God as a king, but because it has some such prominence and importance among other laws as a king has among other men; that is, it is majestic, noble, worthy of veneration. It is a law which ought to govern and direct us in all our intercourse with men - as a king rules his subjects. According to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself - Lev 19:18. Compare Mat 19:19. See it explained by the Saviour, in the parable of the good Samaritan, Luk 10:25-37. In regard to its meaning, see the notes at Mat 19:19. Ye do well - That is, “if you fairly comply with the spirit of this law, you do all that is required of you in regulating your intercourse with others. You are to regard all persons as your “neighbors,” and are to treat them according to their real worth; you are not to be influenced in judging of them, or in your treatment of them, by their apparel, or their complexion, or the circumstances of their birth, but by the fact that they are fellow-beings.” This is another reason why they should not show partiality in their treatment of others, for if, in the true sense, they regarded all others as “neighbors,” they would treat no one with neglect or contempt.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἰ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| μέντοι | mentoi | indeed | G3305 → | |
| νόμον | nomon | [the] law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| τελεῖτε | teleite | you keep | G5055 → | |
| βασιλικὸν | basilikon | royal | G937 → | |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραφήν· | graphen | Scripture; | G1124 → | 49 times |
| ἀγαπήσεις | agapeseis | You will love | G25 → | 143 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλησίον | plesion | neighbour | G4139 → | |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| σεαυτόν, | seauton | yourself, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καλῶς | kalos | well | G2573 → | 35 times |
| ποιεῖτε· | poieite | you are doing; | G4160 → | 569 times |
εἰIf
eiG1487 →508 times
μέντοιindeed
mentoiG3305 →
νόμον[the] law
nomonG3551 →192 times
τελεῖτεyou keep
teleiteG5055 →
βασιλικὸνroyal
basilikonG937 →
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
γραφήν·Scripture;
graphenG1124 →49 times
ἀγαπήσειςYou will love
agapeseisG25 →143 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
πλησίονneighbour
plesionG4139 →
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
σεαυτόν,yourself,
seautonG4771 →2973 times
καλῶςwell
kalosG2573 →35 times
ποιεῖτε·you are doing;
poieiteG4160 →569 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 22:39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
it leads to
- Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 10:27–37
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 13:9–10
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Mark 12:31
Through
Leviticus 19:18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 22:39–40
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Mark 12:31–34
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
- Galatians 5:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
On this verse
On this chapter
About James
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on James; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on James.