James 1:20 (KJV)

Passage

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Nearby Context

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man..." into verse 21's "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity...", so "wrath" and "worketh" 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 "wrath" and "worketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.