James 4:12 (GNV)

Passage

There is one Lawgiuer, which is able to saue, and to destroy. Who art thou that iudgest another man?

Nearby Context

James 4:10 Cast downe your selues before the Lord, and he will lift you vp.

James 4:11 Speake not euill one of another, brethren. He that speaketh euill of his brother, or he that condemneth his brother, speaketh euill of ye Law, and condemneth the Lawe: and if thou condemnest the Lawe, thou art not an obseruer of the Lawe, but a iudge.

James 4:12 There is one Lawgiuer, which is able to saue, and to destroy. Who art thou that iudgest another man?

James 4:13 Goe to now ye that say, To day or to morowe we will goe into such a citie, and continue there a yeere, and bye and sell, and get gaine,

James 4:14 (And yet ye cannot tell what shalbe to morowe. For what is your life? It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time, and afterward vanisheth away)

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lawgiuer", "able", "saue", "destroy", "thou", "iudgest", and "another". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lawgiuer" and "able", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Speake not euill one of another brethren..." into verse 13's "Goe to now ye that say To...", so "lawgiuer" and "able" 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 "lawgiuer" and "able" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.