James 1:18 (DBY)

Passage

According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of *his* creatures.

Nearby Context

James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.

James 1:18 According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of *his* creatures.

James 1:19 So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

James 1:20 for man's wrath does not work God's righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "begat", "word", "truth", "should", "certain", "first-fruits", and "creatures". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "begat" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Every good gift and every perfect gift..." into verse 19's "So that my beloved brethren let every...", so "begat" and "word" 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 "begat" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.