James 1:8 (KJV)

Passage

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Nearby Context

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

James 1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "For let not that man think that..." into verse 9's "Let the brother of low degree rejoice...", so "double" and "minded" 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 "double" and "minded" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.