Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

James 2:26

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 26 Indeed, just as the body without spirit* is dead,+ so also faith without works is dead.+

James 2:26

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 26 ὥσπερ As-even τὸ the σῶμα body χωρὶς apart from πνεύματος spirit νεκρόν dead ἐστιν, it is, οὕτως thus καὶ also ἡ the πίστις faith χωρὶς apart from ἔργων works νεκρά dead ἐστιν. it is.

James 2:26

The Bible in Living English
- 26 For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:26

American Standard Version
- 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:26

The Emphasized Bible
- 26 Just as the body apart from spirit is dead So our faith also apart from works is dead.

James 2:26

King James Version
- 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James Study Notes—Chapter 2

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 2:26
  
  the body without spirit: The Greek word here rendered “spirit” may also be translated “breath.” (See Glossary, “Spirit.”) It refers here to the force that animates the body, making it live. (Compare Lu 8:55 and study note.) James’ point: Just as a body without spirit, or breath of life, is dead, so faith without works is dead, or useless and ineffective. This reasoning would have been powerful to Christians familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. As one reference work states, the Hebrews “knew nothing of the immortality of the soul and the possibility of its being independent of the body.” In fact, the Hebrew Scriptures repeatedly make the point that the dead are incapable of doing anything. (Ps 115:17; 146:3, 4; Ec 9:5, 10) None of James’ readers would have wanted faith that was dead.