James 2:11 (ASV)

Passage

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Nearby Context

James 2:9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all.

James 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.

James 2:13 For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "commit", "adultery", "kill", "thou", and "dost". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "commit", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "For whosoever shall keep the whole law..." into verse 12's "So speak ye and so do as...", so "said" and "commit" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "commit" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.