James 2:9
in James 2But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
KJV
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
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This verse in James 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verseIt is a sin to show any class distinction among persons, for the law says: "You shall not be partial in judgment, you shall hear the small and the great alike." Jesus confirmed this when he said: "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with …
This site's exposition
the royal law
on James 2:8-11
Leviticus 19:18, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, is named the royal law, the king's own law and the law's own crown, and fulfilling it is doing well; respecting persons breaks it and convicts the respecter as a transgressor. The law's unity does the convicting: offend in one point, guilty of all, because one Lawgiver said both do not commit adultery and do not kill, and snapping one strand breaks the chain that hangs from him. The argument is rabbinic in form and the Lord's in substance.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
15 , Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt though judge thy neighbour.
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, &c.
There is many a man, whose wickedness renders him vile and despicable, who yet makes a figure in the world; and, on the other hand, there is many a humble, heavenly, good Christian, who is clothed meanly; but neither should he nor his Christianity be thought the worse of on this account. We have the greatness of this sin set forth,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin - You transgress the plain law of God, and do wrong. See the references on Jas 2:1. And are convinced of the law as transgressors - Greek “By the law.” The word convinced is now used in a somewhat different sense from what it was formerly. It now commonly refers to the impression made on a man’s mind by showing him the truth of a thing which before was doubted, or in respect to which the evidence was not clear.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Respect of persons violates the command to love all alike "as thyself." ye commit sin--literally, "ye work sin," Mt 7:23, to which the reference here is probably, as in Jas 1:22. Your works are sin, whatever boast of the law ye make in words (see on Jas 2:8). convinced--Old English for "convicted." as transgressors--not merely of this or that particular command, but of the whole absolutely.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
But if ye have respect to persons - In judgment, or in any other way; ye commit sin against God, and against your brethren, and are convinced, ελεγχομενοι, and are convicted, by the law; by this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; as transgressors, having shown this sinful acceptance of persons, which has led you to refuse justice to the poor man, and uphold the rich in his oppressive conduct.
The words behind it
11 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 |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| προσωπολημπτεῖτε, | prosopolempteite | you show partiality, | G4380 → | |
| ἁμαρτίαν | hamartian | sin | G266 → | 173 times |
| ἐργάζεσθε | ergazesthe | you are committing | G2038 → | |
| ἐλεγχόμενοι | elegchomenoi | being convicted | G1651 → | |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νόμου | nomou | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| παραβάται. | parabatai | transgressors. | G3848 → |
εἰIf
eiG1487 →508 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
προσωπολημπτεῖτε,you show partiality,
prosopolempteiteG4380 →
ἁμαρτίανsin
hamartianG266 →173 times
ἐργάζεσθεyou are committing
ergazestheG2038 →
ἐλεγχόμενοιbeing convicted
elegchomenoiG1651 →
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
νόμουlaw
nomouG3551 →192 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
παραβάται.transgressors.
parabataiG3848 →
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
Romans 3:20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
it leads to
- Galatians 2:16
know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in…
- Acts 13:39
Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
- Romans 3:28
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
- Galatians 2:19
For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.
- Romans 4:15
because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
- Galatians 2:16
Through
Leviticus 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About James
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.