James 2:19
in James 2You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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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This verse in James 2
Commentary
20 notes on this verseThis 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 …
This site's exposition
Show me your faith without deeds
on James 2:18-20
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds: faith is seen only in what it does. Even the demons believe that God is one and shudder. Where the King James reads dead in verse 20, the oldest copies read arge, worthless.
This site's exposition
Even the demons believe that
James chooses the creed every Jew confessed. Albert Barnes notes that if believing any doctrine could save the soul, this one would. John Wesley answers that it gives only the faith of the demons, who tremble at the judgment ahead and are neither justified nor saved.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Hilary of ArlesINTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES · Written before 449.
proposed
Those who believe but who do not fear God are even worse than the devils. And those who believe and tremble but who do not practice what they preach are just like the devils.
Those who believe and act according to true faith do live and are not dead, but those who do not believe, or else who believe like the demons, trembling but living evilly, proclaiming the Son of God but not having love, must rather be accounted dead.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoCOMMENTARY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 53.10 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Will the devils see God? Those who are pure of heart will see him, and who would say that the devils are pure of heart? Nevertheless, they believe and tremble.
The apostle says that a man who believes and does not act has the faith of demons. If that is true, imagine the fate of a man who does not believe at all.
Good works are witnesses to the Christian faith, because otherwise a Christian cannot prove that he has that faith. If he cannot prove it, it must be considered completely nonexistent.
12 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. But some man says, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without works: and I will show you by works my faith. You believe that there is one God. …
The Medieval Church2 voices
James gives us the example of the devils, saying that those who profess faith with their lips only are really no better than they are. For even they believe that Christ is the Son of God, that he is the Holy One of God and …
You believe that there is one God, you do well, and the demons also believe and tremble. Do not think that you are doing something great by believing that there is one God. For the demons also do this, and not only do they believe …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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.
And as their faith and knowledge only serve to excite horror, so in a little time will thine." The word tremble is commonly looked upon as denoting a good effect of faith; but here it may rather be taken as a bad effect, when applied to the faith of devils.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Thou believest that there is one God,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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;
Thou believest that there is one God - This is the faith in which these persons put their hope of pleasing God, and of obtaining eternal life. Believing in the being and unity of God distinguished them from all the nations of the world; and having been circumcised, and thus brought into the covenant, they thought themselves secure of salvation. The insufficiency of this St. James immediately shows. The devils also believe, and tremble - It is well to believe there is one only true God; this truth universal nature proclaims. Even the devils believe it; but far from justifying or saving them, it leaves them in their damned state, and every act of it only increases their torment; φρισσουσι, they shudder with horror, they believe and tremble, are increasingly tormented; but they can neither love nor obey.
Modern Voices3 voices
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.
Those who called her a witch hot from hell were much more sensible than those who depict her as a silly sentimental maiden prompted by her parish priest. If I have to choose between the two schools of her scattered enemies, I could take my …
The hopeful element in the universe has in modern times continually been denied and reasserted; but the hopeless element has never for a moment been denied. As I told "H. N. B." (whom I pause to wish a Happy Christmas in its most superstitious sense), …
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| σὺ | su | You yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πιστεύεις | pisteueis | believe | G4100 → | 237 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| εἷς | heis | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεός· | theos | God; | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καλῶς | kalos | Well | G2573 → | 35 times |
| ποιεῖς· | poieis | you are doing! | G4160 → | 569 times |
| καὶ | kai | Even | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δαιμόνια | daimonia | demons | G1140 → | |
| πιστεύουσιν | pisteuousin | believe [that] | G4100 → | 237 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φρίσσουσιν. | phrissousin | shudder! | G5425 → |
σὺYou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
πιστεύειςbelieve
pisteueisG4100 →237 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
εἷςone
heisG1520 →343 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεός·God;
theosG2316 →1312 times
καλῶςWell
kalosG2573 →35 times
ποιεῖς·you are doing!
poieisG4160 →569 times
καὶEven
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
δαιμόνιαdemons
daimoniaG1140 →
πιστεύουσινbelieve [that]
pisteuousinG4100 →237 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φρίσσουσιν.shudder!
phrissousinG5425 →
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
Deuteronomy 6:4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
it 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.
- Mark 12:29–32
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?”
it 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 separate 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 separate 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 separate paths from here.
- Mark 1:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About James
This page draws on 19 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATES 22.7.2; Augustine of Hippo, COMMENTARY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 53.10; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Caesarius of Arles, SERMONS 12.5; GK Chesterton, All Things Considered, The Maid of Orleans (1908); GK Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, XVII. The Red Angel (1909); Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on James; Reinhard Bonnke, Faith: The Link with God’s Power (CfaN Bible study series); Salvian the Presbyter, ON THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 4.2 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on James.