KJV King James Version
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
James 4:12
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
WEB World English Bible
Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?
ASV American Standard Version
One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; thou—who art thou that dost judge the other?
Surrounding context — James 4
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
εἷςG1520 · ehisoneἐστινG1510 · eimito beνομοθέτηςG3550 · nomothetēslawgiverκαὶG2532 · kaiandκριτὴςG2923 · kritēsjudgeὁG3588 · hothe/this/whoδυνάμενοςG1410 · dunamaibe ableσῶσαιG4982 · sōzōto saveκαὶG2532 · kaiandἀπολέσαι·G622 · apolluōto destroyσὺG4771 · suyouδὲG1161 · dethenτίςG5101 · tiswhich?εἶG1510 · eimito beὁG3588 · hothe/this/whoκρίνωνG2919 · krinōto judgeτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoπλησίον;¶G4139 · plēsionnear/neighbor
Cross-references
Romans 14:4Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.Romans 2:1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.Matthew 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.Isaiah 33:22For the LORD [is] our judge, the LORD [is] our lawgiver, the LORD [is] our king; he will save us.Hebrews 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.James 5:9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.Romans 14:13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother’s way.Job 38:2Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?Romans 9:20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?Luke 12:5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who [is] David? and who [is] the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on James 4:12
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →