James 2:4
in James 2have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
KJV
Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
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This verse in James 2
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe conjunction "and" is placed here according to the custom of the ancient manner of expression, for here is a continuation of what was said above, which is why the conjunction "and" is superfluous. The flow of speech is this: "If there should come into …
This site's exposition
do not show favoritism
on James 2:1-4
As you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism, prosopolempsia, the face-receiving Leviticus 19:15 forbade judges. The scene is set in your meeting, sunagoge, the synagogue's word. Those who seat the rich and stand the poor become judges with evil thoughts.
This site's exposition
become judges with evil thoughts
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place the evil thoughts in the judges themselves, like the unjust judge of Luke 18:6. They also report that Alford reads the verb as doubt. On that reading, faith that honors the rich man above the poor man is divided against itself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? "have you not shown partiality." The conjunction, "And", abounds, that is, you have corrupted the power of judging which was in you, making no inquiry as to whether he is to be …
Nor, indeed, in my opinion, are we to esteem it a trifling sin "to have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons," if we take the difference between sitting and standing, of which mention is made in the context, to refer to ecclesiastical honours; for who can bear to see a rich man chosen to a place of honour in the Church, while a poor man, of superior qualifications and of greater holiness, is despised? If, however, the apostle speaks there of our daily assemblies, who does not offend in the matter? At the same time, only those really offend here who cherish in their hearts the opinion that a man's worth is to be estimated according to his wealth; for this seems to be the meaning of the expression, "Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"
The Medieval Church1 voice
Do you not judge among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? It follows:
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In this sin there is shameful partiality: Are you not then partial in yourselves? The question is here put, as what could not fail of being answered by every man's conscience that would put it seriously to himself. According to the strict rendering of the original, the question is, " Have you not made a difference?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Ye distinguish not - To which the most respect is due, to the poor or to the rich. But are become evil-reasoning Judges - You reason ill, and so judge wrong: for fine apparel is no proof of worth in him that wears it.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Are ye not then partial in yourselves,.... That is, guilty of such partiality as must appear to yourselves, and your own consciences must accuse you of; or do not ye distinguish, or make a difference among yourselves, by such a conduct, towards the rich and the poor: and are become judges of evil thoughts; or "are distinguishers by evil thoughts"; that is, make a distinction between the rich and the poor, by an evil way of thinking, that one is better than the other, and to be preferred before him.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Are ye not then partial - Ου διεκριθητε· Do ye not make a distinction, though the case has not been heard, and the law has not decided? Judges of evil thoughts? - Κριται διαλογισμων πονηρων· Judges of evil reasonings; that is, judges who reason wickedly; who, in effect, say in your hearts, we will espouse the cause of the rich, because they can befriend us; we will neglect that of the poor, because they cannot help us, nor have they power to hurt us.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The "evil thoughts" are in the judges themselves; as in Lu 18:6, the Greek, "judge of injustice," is translated, "unjust judge." ALFORD and WAHL translate, "Did ye not doubt" (respecting your faith, which is inconsistent with the distinctions made by you between rich and poor)? For the Greek constantly means "doubt" in all the New Testament.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Are ye not then partial in yourselves? - Among yourselves. Do you not show that you are partial? And are become judges of evil thoughts - There has been considerable difference of opinion respecting this passage, yet the sense seems not to be difficult. There are two ideas in it: one is, that they showed by this conduct that they took it upon themselves to be judges, to pronounce on the character of men who were strangers, and on their claims to respect (Compare Mat 7:1); the other is, that in doing this, they were not guided by just rules, but that they did it under the influence of improper “thoughts.” They did it not from benevolence; not from a desire to do justice to all according to their moral character; but from that improper feeling which leads us to show honor to men on account of their external appearance, rather than their real worth. The wrong in the case was in their presuming to “judge” these strangers at all, as they practically did by making this distinction, and then by doing it under the influence of such an unjust rule of judgment. The sense is, that we have no right to form a decisive judgment of men on their first appearance, as we do when we treat one with respect and the other not; and that when we make up our opinion in regard to them, it should be by some other means of judging than the question whether they can wear gold rings, and dress well, or not. Beza and Doddridge render this, “ye become judges who reason ill.”
Modern Voices2 voices
The truth of the matter is really quite simple. An aristocracy is a secret society; and this is especially so when, as in the modern world, it is practically a plutocracy. The one idea of a secret society is to change the password. Lady Grove …
Now this is exactly what is present in cases of police investigation such as the one narrated above. There enters into such things a great national sin, a far greater sin than drink--the habit of respecting a gentleman. Snobbishness has, like drink, a kind of …
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| διεκρίθητε | diekrithete | were discriminated | G1252 → | 19 times |
| ἐν | en | among | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἑαυτοῖς | he'autois | yourselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐγένεσθε | egenesthe | you have become | G1096 → | 667 times |
| κριταὶ | kritai | judges | G2923 → | 19 times |
| διαλογισμῶν | dialogismon | with thoughts | G1261 → | |
| πονηρῶν;¶ | poneron | evil? | G4190 → |
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
διεκρίθητεwere discriminated
diekritheteG1252 →19 times
ἐνamong
enG1722 →2738 times
ἑαυτοῖςyourselves
he'autoisG1438 →322 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐγένεσθεyou have become
egenestheG1096 →667 times
κριταὶjudges
kritaiG2923 →19 times
διαλογισμῶνwith thoughts
dialogismonG1261 →
πονηρῶν;¶evil?
poneronG4190 →
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
James 4:11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:1
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- James 5:9
Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
- Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Romans 14:10–12
Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
- 1 Peter 2:1
Through
John 7:24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:3–4
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
- James 2:9
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- Isaiah 11:3–4
Through
Job 34:19who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
- Deuteronomy 10:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About James
This page draws on 12 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); Augustine of Hippo, LETTERS 167.18; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; GK Chesterton, All Things Considered, Demagogues and Mystagogues (1908); GK Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, Some Policemen and a Moral (1909); 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 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on James.