Passage

James 3.17

Book: James · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

15. This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.

17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace. (James 3:15-18, ASV)

WEB

15. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:15-18, WEB)

KJV

15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. ^{sensual: or, natural} 16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. ^{confusion: Gr. tumult or unquietness}

17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ^{partiality: or, wrangling}

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:15-18, KJV)

YLT

15. this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like, 16. for where zeal and rivalry [are], there is insurrection and every evil matter;

17. and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical:

and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace. (James 3:15-18, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: James (Iakōbos), identified by the great majority of interpreters as the brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19; Mark 6:3), leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18). He introduces himself simply as "a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1), never as a relative.
Audience: Jewish believers outside Palestine, addressed as "the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad" (James 1:1). The congregations meet in a synagōgē (James 2:2) and include both poor members and wealthy visitors.
Location: Jerusalem, from which James led the mother church.
Time period: Date disputed. An early date (c. AD 44-49) would make this the earliest surviving Christian writing; a later one places it before James's death, which Josephus dates to AD 62 (Antiquities 20.200). The letter shows no awareness of the Gentile-circumcision controversy settled in Acts 15, which many take as evidence for the early date.

Theological reading

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."

A definition by inventory. James does not define wisdom conceptually; he lists what it looks like, which is the method of the whole letter. The list stands against verse 15's wisdom that is "earthly, natural, demonic."

"First pure, then peaceable." The order is stated, and it matters: purity is not traded for peace. Peaceableness that requires abandoning the truth is not the wisdom from above, and purity that produces belligerence is not either.

The middle terms. Epieikēs, gentle or forbearing, is the quality of not insisting on the last ounce of one's rights. Eupeithēs, rendered "reasonable" or "open to reason", is literally easily persuaded, willing to yield to good argument. That a New Testament virtue list includes persuadability is worth noting in an apologetic context.

"Full of mercy and good fruits." Wisdom in James produces something, which is why it can be assessed. The letter tests faith by works (James 2:14-26), religion by care of orphans and widows (James 1:27), and wisdom by its yield.

"Without hypocrisy." Anypokritos, unfeigned, from the actor's word. It closes a list that began with purity, and the two bracket the rest.

Verse 18. "The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." The wisdom of chapter 3 issues in peacemaking, which answers the quarrels described at the start of chapter 4.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

G1656 - eleos, eleos, Strong's G1656

Quoted in

Concepts:

Christian Discernment

Lexicon:

G1656 - eleos

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.