There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, judging your neighbor?
Parallel translations
- WEB Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?
- KJV There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
- BSB There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
- NKJV There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
- NLT God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, who alone can save and destroy. Who are we to take his place over our neighbor?
Overview
James grounds his prohibition of judging in God's unique authority: he alone gives the law and holds power over life and death. The pointed question, who are you to judge another, exposes the arrogance of usurping God's seat. This humbles us before the true Judge and points to Christ, to whom the Father has entrusted judgment and through whom alone we are saved (John 5:22).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Rom 14:4Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.
- Rom 2:1Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.
- Matt 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
- Isa 33:22For Yahweh is our judge. Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king. He will save us.
- Heb 7:25Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
- Jas 5:9Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.
- Rom 14:13Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.
- Job 38:2“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
- Luke 12:5But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
- Rom 9:20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
- 1 Sam 25:10Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days.
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Christ at the center
The wisdom from above and the royal law of love are the life of those who belong to 'our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' — faith in him made visible in works.
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Original language
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