James 2:21
New International Version
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

New Living Translation
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

English Standard Version
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

Berean Standard Bible
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Berean Literal Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, having offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

King James Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

New King James Version
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

New American Standard Bible
Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

NASB 1995
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

NASB 1977
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Legacy Standard Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Amplified Bible
Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?

Christian Standard Bible
Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

American Standard Version
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Contemporary English Version
Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

English Revised Version
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Didn't our ancestor Abraham receive God's approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar?

Good News Translation
How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

International Standard Version
Our ancestor Abraham was justified by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, wasn't he?

Literal Standard Version
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous out of works, having brought up his son Isaac on the altar?

Majority Standard Bible
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

New American Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

NET Bible
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

New Revised Standard Version
Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

New Heart English Bible
Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Webster's Bible Translation
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Weymouth New Testament
Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?

World English Bible
Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Young's Literal Translation
Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Faith and Works
20O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? 21Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.…

Cross References
Genesis 22:9
When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.

Genesis 22:10
Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him," said the angel, "for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me."

Hebrews 11:17
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,


Treasury of Scripture

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Abraham.

Joshua 24:3
And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

Isaiah 51:2
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Matthew 3:9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

justified.

James 2:18,24
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works…

Psalm 143:2
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

Matthew 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

when.

Genesis 22:9-12,16-18
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood…

Jump to Previous
Abraham Actions Altar Ancestor Considered Declared Isaac Judged Justified Offered Offering Result Righteous Righteousness Wasn't Works
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Abraham Actions Altar Ancestor Considered Declared Isaac Judged Justified Offered Offering Result Righteous Righteousness Wasn't Works
James 2
1. Do not regard the rich and despise the poor brothers;
13. rather we are to be loving and merciful;
14. and not to boast of faith without deeds;
17. because faith without deeds is useless;
19. as is the faith of the demons;
21. however, Abraham displayed both faith and actions;
25. as did Rahab.














(21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works . . .?--St. James now addresses his two examples from familiar history in force of his plea for active faith. The first is the marvellous devotion and trust of Abraham (Genesis 22) when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar; that boy himself the type of God's dear Son, who bore, like His meek ancestor, the sacrificial wood up the long weary road of death. Happily, the story is as well known to Christian readers as to the Jewish of old time, and may safely be left here without further comment.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
{Was} not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

father
πατὴρ (patēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

Abraham
Ἀβραὰμ (Abraam)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 11: Abraham, progenitor of the Hebrew race. Of Hebrew origin; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch.

justified
ἐδικαιώθη (edikaiōthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1344: From dikaios; to render just or innocent.

by
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

what he did
ἔργων (ergōn)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 2041: From a primary ergo; toil; by implication, an act.

when he offered
ἀνενέγκας (anenenkas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 399: From ana and phero; to take up.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

son
υἱὸν (huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

Isaac
Ἰσαὰκ (Isaak)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2464: (Hebrew), Isaac, the patriarch. Of Hebrew origin; Isaac, the son of Abraham.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

altar?
θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2379: An altar (for sacrifice). From a derivative of thusia; a place of sacrifice, i.e. An altar.


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NT Letters: James 2:21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works (Ja Jas. Jam)
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