James 2:17

Murdock Translation

So also faith alone, without works, is dead.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

King James Version (1611)
Euen so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone.

King James Version
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

English Standard Version
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

New American Standard Bible
In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

New Century Version
In the same way, faith by itself—that does nothing—is dead.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Berean Standard Bible
So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.

Contemporary English Version
Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.

Darby Translation
So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

Easy-to-Read Version
It is the same with faith. If it is just faith and nothing more—if it doesn't do anything—it is dead.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe.

George Lamsa Translation
Even so faith, without works, is dead, by itself.

Good News Translation
So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

Lexham English Bible
Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Literal Translation
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

Amplified Bible
So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].

American Standard Version
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Bible in Basic English
Even so faith without works is dead.

Hebrew Names Version
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

International Standard Version
In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not have any works, is dead.

Etheridge Translation
Thus also the faith that hath not works is dead, (being) alone.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euen so, fayth, yf it haue not deedes, is dead in it selfe:

English Revised Version
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

World English Bible
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So likewise faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.

Weymouth's New Testament
So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
So also feith, if it hath not werkis, is deed in it silf.

Update Bible Version
Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead in itself.

Webster's Bible Translation
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

New English Translation
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

New King James Version
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

New Living Translation
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

New Life Bible
A faith that does not do things is a dead faith.

New Revised Standard
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, also, faith, if it have not works, is dead, by itself.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Revised Standard Version
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Eve so fayth yf it have no dedes is deed in it selfe.

Young's Literal Translation
so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euen so faith, yf it haue no dedes, is deed in it selfe.

Mace New Testament (1729)
just so faith, if it be not operative, is intirely lifeless.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Faith without works is like a saddle without a horse.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ What is the use, my brethren, if a man say, I have faith; and he hath no works? can his faith vivify him? ¹⁵ Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you say to them, Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full; and ye give them not the necessaries of the body, what is the use? ¹⁷ So also faith alone, without works, is dead. ¹⁸ For a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show to me thy faith that is without works; and I will show to thee, my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well; the demons also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ Wouldst thou know, O frail man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Abraham our father, was not he justified by works, in offering his son Isaac upon the altar? ²² Seest thou, that his faith aided his works; and that by the works his faith was rendered complete? ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

so: James 2:14, James 2:19, James 2:20, James 2:26, 1 Corinthians 13:3, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Peter 1:5-9

alone: Gr. by itself

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 18:11 - that Matthew 7:24 - whosoever Luke 6:49 - that heareth 1 Corinthians 15:2 - unless Colossians 2:13 - dead Philemon 1:6 - the communication

Cross-References

Romans 1:32
These, while they know the judgment of God, that he condemneth those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only doers of them, but the companions of such as do them.

Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whomsoever ye give up yourselves to serve in bondage, his servants ye are, whom ye serve; whether it be to sin, or whether it be to righteousness, that ye give ear?

Romans 8:2
For the law of the spirit of life, which is in Jesus Messiah, hath emancipated thee from the law of sin and death.

1 Corinthians 15:22
For as it was by Adam, that all men die, so also by the Messiah they all live:

1 Corinthians 15:56
Now the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Galatians 3:10
For they who are of the deeds of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who shall not do every thing written in this law.

Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore it is said: Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and the Messiah will illuminate thee.

Colossians 2:13
And you, who were dead in your sins, and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath vivified with him; and he hath forgiven us all our sins:

1 Timothy 5:6
But she who followeth pleasure, is dead while she liveth.

1 John 5:16
16 If any one shall see his brother sin a sin which doth not deserve death, he shall ask, and life will be given him, to them [fn] who sin not as unto death. For there is a sin of death; and I do not say of this, that a man should pray for it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. It is like a lifeless carcass, a body without a soul, James 2:26 for as works, without faith, are dead works, so faith, without works, is a dead faith, and not like the lively hope and faith of regenerated persons: and indeed, such who have no other faith than this are dead in trespasses and sins; not that works are the life of faith, or that the life of faith lies in, and flows from works; but, as Dr. Ames observes b, good works are second acts, necessarily flowing from the life of faith; to which may be added, and by these faith appears to be living, lively and active, or such who perform them appear to be true and living believers.

b Medulla Theolog. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 35.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If a brother or sister be naked ... - The comparison in these verses is very obvious and striking. The sense is, that faith in itself, without the acts that correspond to it, and to which it would prompt, is as cold, and heartless, and unmeaning, and useless, as it would be to say to one who was destitute of the necessaries of life, depart in peace.” In itself considered, it might seem to have something that was good; but it would answer none of the purposes of faith unless it should prompt to action. In the case of one who was hungry or naked, what he wanted was not good wishes or kind words merely, but the acts to which good wishes and kind words prompt. And so in religion, what is wanted is not merely the abstract state of mind which would be indicated by faith, but the life of goodness to which it ought to lead. Good wishes and kind words, in order to make them what they should be for the welfare of the world, should be accompanied with corresponding action. So it is with faith. It is not enough for salvation without the benevolent and holy acts to which it would prompt, any more than the good wishes and kind words of the benevolent are enough to satisfy the wants of the hungry, and to clothe the naked, without correspondent action. Faith is not and cannot be shown to be genuine, unless it is accompanied with corresponding acts; as our good wishes for the poor and needy can be shown to be genuine, when we have the means of aiding them, only by actually ministering to their necessities. In the one case, our wishes would be shown to be unmeaning and heartless; in the other, our faith would be equally so. In regard to this passage, therefore, it may be observed:

(1) That in fact faith is of no more value, and has no more evidence of genuineness when it is unaccompanied with good works, than such empty wishes for the welfare of the poor would be when unaccompanied with the means of relieving their wants. Faith is designed to lead to good works. It is intended to produce a holy life; a life of activity in the service of the Saviour. This is its very essence; it is what it always produces when it is genuine. Religion is not designed to be a cold abstraction; it is to be a living and vivifying principle.

(2) There is a great deal of that kindness and charity in the world which is expressed by mere good wishes. If we really have not the means of relieving the poor and the needy, then the expression of a kind wish may be in itself an alleviation to their sorrows, for even sympathy in such a case is of value, and it is much to us to know that others feel for us; but if we have the means, and the object is a worthy one, then such expressions are mere mockery, and aggravate rather than soothe the feelings of the sufferer. Such wishes will neither clothe nor feed them; and they will only make deeper the sorrows which we ought to heal. But how much of this is there in the world, when the sufferer cannot but feel that all these wishes, however kindly expressed, are hollow and false, and when he cannot but feel that relief would be easy!

(3) In like manner there is much of this same kind of worthless faith in the world - faith that is dead; faith that produces no good works; faith that exerts no practical influence whatever on the life. The individual professes indeed to believe the truths of the gospel; he may be in the church of Christ; he would esteem it a gross calumny to be spoken of as an infidel; but as to any influence which his faith exerts over him, his life would be the same if he had never heard of the gospel. There is not one of the truths of religion which is bodied forth in his life; not a deed to which he is prompted by religion; not an act which could not be accounted for on the supposition that he has no true piety. In such a case, faith may with propriety be said to be dead.

Being alone - Margin, “by itself.” The sense is, “being by itself:” that is, destitute of any accompanying fruits or results, it shows that it is dead. That which is alive bodies itself forth, produces effects, makes itself visible; that which is dead produces no effect, and is as if it were not.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. If it hath not works, is dead — The faith that does not produce works of charity and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, love to God and love to man. They had faith, such as a man has who credits a well-circumstanced relation because it has all the appearance of truth; but they had nothing of that faith that a sinner, convinced of his sinfulness, God's purity, and the strictness of the Divine laws, is obliged to exert in the Lord Jesus, in order to be saved from his sins.