James 2:22 (DBY)

Passage

Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.

Nearby Context

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?

James 2:22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God.

James 2:24 Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Was not Abraham our father justified by..." into verse 23's "And the scripture was fulfilled which says...", so "faith" and "thou" 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 "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.