Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
What does James 2:17 mean?
James is saying that real faith does not stay empty or inactive. If someone claims to believe but nothing in life follows, that faith is dead because it has no living fruit.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside James 2:17-18 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 2:17
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Key words
- being
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faith being alone Alford joins "is dead in itself.
- alone
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faith being alone Alford joins "is dead in itself.
Context in James 2
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James 2 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as hearing and doing the word. James is a wisdom-shaped epistle about testing, speech, wealth, impartiality, works, prayer, and practical holiness. Read this chapter with the wider themes of works, wisdom, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Who quoted James 2:17?
Find out who used James 2:17 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted James 2:17?
Franklin D. Roosevelt used James 2:17 in Address at Harrisburg, Pa..
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. used James 2:17 in Remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner.
APP: Remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner »
Quotes found on Wikiquote (match for «faith without works is dead»):