James 2:19 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "believest", "doest", "well", "demons", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "believest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "But some one will say Thou hast..." into verse 20's "But wilt thou know O vain man...", so "thou" and "believest" 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 "thou" and "believest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.