James 1:20 (YLT)

Passage

for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;

Nearby Context

James 1:18 having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

James 1:19 So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

James 1:20 for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;

James 1:21 wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;

James 1:22 and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "So then my brethren beloved let every..." into verse 21's "wherefore having put aside all filthiness and...", so "wrath" and "righteousness" 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 "righteousness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.