James 4:17 (DBY)

Passage

To him therefore who knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

Nearby Context

James 4:15 instead of your saying, If the Lord should [so] will and we should live, we will also do this or that.

James 4:16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.

James 4:17 To him therefore who knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

Study Lenses

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

The prior verse says "But now ye glory in your vauntings...", giving immediate footing for "therefore" and "knows". In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "knows" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.