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James 1:25

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

KJV

ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας, οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου, οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται.

Greek NT

Qui autem perspexerit in legem perfectam libertatis, et permanserit in ea, non auditor obliviosus factus, sed factor operis : hic beatus in facto suo erit.

Vulgate

But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

ASV

But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

22 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γίνομαι
ginomai
verb · 667×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
εἰς
eis
preposition · 1769×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
μακάριος
makarios
adjective · 50×
νόμος
nomos
noun · 196×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
οὗτος
outos
demonstrative · 1380×
παρακύπτω
parakupto
verb · 4×
παραμένω
parameno
verb · 4×
ποίησις
poiesis
noun · 1×
ποιητής
poietes
noun · 6×
τέλειος
teleios
adjective · 19×
ἀκροατής
akroates
noun · 4×
ἀλλά
alla
conjunction · 636×
ἐλευθερία
eleutheria
noun · 11×
ἐν
en
preposition · 2743×
ἐπιλησμονή
epilesmone
noun · 1×
ἔργον
ergon
noun · 169×
o
article · 19778×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: οὐκ | WH/Treg/NIV: οὐκ | RP: οὗτος οὐκ
  • οὐκSBLGNT
  • οὐκWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • οὗτος οὐκRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§1972The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting …
Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. He that heareth and doeth not is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Christianity is not merely hearing or knowing, but doing. The whole Sermon on the Mount is a practical religion, a religion of the heart flowing out into the life.
We will that the church of Christ resume her native right of internal government, rejecting all human legislation and creeds that are not based upon the authority of Scripture. The Gospel of Christ is free, and no humanly-devised standards should bind the conscience or restrict the liberties of the people of God.

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 15:58 — Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
  • 1Pet 2:16 — As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
  • 1Pet 2:16 — As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
  • 1Sam 12:14 — If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD
  • 1Tim 2:15 — Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
  • 1Tim 4:16 — Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
  • 2Cor 3:17 — Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
  • 2Cor 13:5 — Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
  • Acts 2:42 — And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
  • Acts 13:43 — Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
  • Acts 26:22 — Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
  • Dan 6:20 — And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able t
  • Deut 5:10 — And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
  • Deut 5:29 — O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
  • Deut 10:13 — To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
  • Deut 11:27 — A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
  • Gal 2:4 — And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
  • Gal 5:1 — Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
  • Heb 12:15 — Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
  • Isa 2:3 — And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Z
  • Isa 8:20 — To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
  • Jas 1:23 — For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
  • Jas 2:8 — If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
  • Jas 2:12 — So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
  • Jas 2:12 — So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
  • John 8:31 — Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
  • John 8:31 — Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
  • John 8:32 — And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
  • John 8:36 — If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
  • John 13:17 — If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
  • John 13:17 — If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
  • John 15:9 — As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
  • Luke 6:47 — Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
  • Luke 11:28 — But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
  • Luke 11:36 — If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
  • Mark 3:35 — For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
  • Prov 14:15 — The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
  • Prov 24:14 — So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
  • Prov 29:18 — Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
  • Ps 19:7 — The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.