James 2:17 (DBY)

Passage

So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

Nearby Context

James 2:15 Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

James 2:16 and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit?

James 2:17 So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

James 2:18 But some one will say, *Thou* hast faith and *I* have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and *I* from my works will shew thee my faith.

James 2:19 *Thou* believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "works", and "dead". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "works", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "and one from amongst you say to..." into verse 18's "But some one will say Thou hast...", so "faith" and "works" 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 "faith" and "works" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.