James 1:22 (DBY)

Passage

But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.

Nearby Context

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

James 1:21 Wherefore, laying aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.

James 1:23 For if any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, *he* is like to a man considering his natural face in a mirror:

James 1:24 for he has considered himself and is gone away, and straightway he has forgotten what he was like.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "doers", "word", "hearers", "only", "beguiling", and "yourselves". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "doers" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Wherefore laying aside all filthiness and abounding..." into verse 23's "For if any man be a hearer...", so "doers" 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 "doers" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.