James 2:8 (DBY)

Passage

If indeed ye keep [the] royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.

Nearby Context

James 2:6 But *ye* have despised the poor [man]. Do not the rich oppress you, and [do not] *they* drag you before [the] tribunals?

James 2:7 And [do not] *they* blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you?

James 2:8 If indeed ye keep [the] royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.

James 2:9 But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one [point], he has come under the guilt of [breaking] all.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "indeed", "keep", "royal", "scripture", "thou", "shalt", "love", and "neighbour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "indeed" and "keep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And do not they blaspheme the excellent..." into verse 9's "But if ye have respect of persons...", so "indeed" and "keep" 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 "indeed" and "keep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.