For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
What does James 3:16 mean?
These verses show the difference between men's pretending to be wise, and their being really so. He who thinks well, or he who talks well, is not wise in the sense of the Scripture, if he does not live and act well.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside James 3:15-18 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 3:16
For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion - Margin, tumult or unquietness. Everything is unsettled and agitated. There is no mutual confidence; there is no union of plan and effort; there is no co-operation in promoting a common object; there is no stability in any plan; for a purpose, though for good, formed by one portion, is defeated by another. And every evil work - Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt who has observed the effects in a family or neighborhood where a spirit of strife prevails.
Key words
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For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work.
- envying
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For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work.
- strife
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For where envying and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work.
Context in James 3
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James 3 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as speech, worldliness, and humility. 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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Bible verses about jealousy and envy
What Scripture says about envy, covetousness, God's own jealousy for his people, and the spiritual damage caused by comparing yourself to others.
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.