James 2:19

Mace New Testament

you believe there is but one God, very well: the demons believe as much, and tremble."

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Do you want a cookie for saying the Boss is real? Shoot, even demons know that—and crap their pants in fear.

Bible in Basic English
You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear.

Darby Translation
*Thou* believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble.

World English Bible
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Thou believest there is one God: thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

Weymouth's New Testament
You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder."

King James Version (1611)
Thou beleeuest that there is one God, thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue, and tremble.

Literal Translation
You believe that God is One. You do well; even the demons believe and shudder.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beleuest thou yt ther is one God? Thou doest well. The deuils also beleue and tremble.

THE MESSAGE
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

Amplified Bible
You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!

American Standard Version
Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder.

Revised Standard Version
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Belevest thou yt ther is one God? Thou doest well. The devyls also beleve and tremble.

Update Bible Version
You believe that there is [only] one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and shudder.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble.

Young's Literal Translation
thou -- thou dost believe that God is one; thou dost well, and the demons believe, and they shudder!

New Century Version
You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too, and they tremble with fear.

New English Translation
You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.

Berean Standard Bible
You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.

Contemporary English Version
You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.

Complete Jewish Bible
You believe that "God is one" ? Good for you! The demons believe it too — the thought makes them shudder with fear!

English Standard Version
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble.

George Lamsa Translation
You believe that there is one God; you do well. The devils also believe, and they tremble.

Christian Standard Bible®
You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.

Hebrew Names Version
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

International Standard Version
You believe that there is one God. That's fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear.Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:34; Acts 16:17; 19:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Thou believest that Aloha is one: thou doest well; the demons also believe and tremble.

Murdock Translation
Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well; the demons also believe, and tremble.

New King James Version
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!

New Living Translation
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

New Life Bible
You believe there is one God. That is good! But even the demons believe that, and because they do, they shake.

English Revised Version
Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and shudder.

New Revised Standard
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou believest that God is, one: thou doest, well - Even the demons believe, and shudder!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

King James Version
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Lexham English Bible
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beleuest thou that there is one God? Thou doest well. The deuyls also beleue, and tremble.

Easy-to-Read Version
You believe there is one God. That's good, but even the demons believe that! And they shake with fear.

New American Standard Bible
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Good News Translation
Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou bileuest, that o God is; thou doist wel; and deuelis bileuen, and tremblen.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ What advantage is it, my brethren, for a man to say he has faith, if he has no beneficence? can such a faith save him? ¹⁵ suppose one of your brethren should be destitute of cloths, and of his daily nourishment, ¹⁶ and one of you should thus address him; "go and prosper, I wish you a warm fire, and a full meal:" without relieving his wants, would he be the better for your wish? ¹⁷ just so faith, if it be not operative, is intirely lifeless. ¹⁸ it will be said, "you have a speculative faith, but mine is practical. where is your faith, if no effects appear? as for me, my actions will vouch for my faith. ¹⁹ you believe there is but one God, very well: the demons believe as much, and tremble." ²⁰ Vain man, must I show you how lifeless a thing faith is, without its effects? ²¹ was not our father Abraham treated as just, in consequence of his actions, when he had attempted to sacrifice his son upon the altar? ²² don't you see his actions and his faith conspir'd, and that his faith had its perfect effect in his conduct? ²³ it was then, that those words of scripture were accomplished, "Abraham believed God, and he was regarded for it as a man of virtue, and was the favourite of God."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 44:8, Isaiah 45:6, Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 45:22, Isaiah 46:9, Zechariah 14:9, Mark 12:29, John 17:3, Romans 3:30, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Galatians 3:20, Ephesians 4:5, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Jude 1:4

thou doest: James 2:8, Jonah 4:4, Jonah 4:9, Mark 7:9

the: Matthew 8:29, Mark 1:24, Mark 5:7, Luke 4:34, Acts 16:17, Acts 19:15, Acts 24:25, Jude 1:6, Revelation 20:2, Revelation 20:3, Revelation 20:10

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 18:29 - yet the Mark 3:11 - unclean Mark 5:6 - he ran Luke 4:41 - Thou Luke 8:28 - I beseech John 2:23 - many John 8:48 - Say John 13:13 - and Acts 8:13 - believed Romans 8:15 - the spirit Romans 11:20 - Well James 2:17 - so 1 John 3:7 - let 1 John 4:18 - fear hath

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou believest that there is one God,.... These words are a continuation of the address of the man that has works, to him that boasts of his faith without them, observing to him, that one, and a main article of his faith, is, that there is one God; which is to be understood in the Christian sense, since both the person speaking, and the person spoken to, were such as professed themselves Christians; so that to believe there is one God, is not merely to give into this article, in opposition to the polytheism of the Gentiles, or barely to confess the God of Israel, as believed on by the Jews, but to believe that there are three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, and that these three are the one God; wherefore this article of faith includes everything relating to God; as to God the Father, his being and perfections, so to Christ, as God, and the Son of God, and the Messiah, c. and to the Holy Spirit and to believe all this is right:

thou doest well; for that there is but one God, is to be proved by the light of nature, and from the works of creation and providence, and has been owned by the wisest of the Heathens themselves; and is established, by divine revelation, in the books both of the Old and of the New Testament; what has been received by the Jews, and is well known by Christians, to whom it is set in the clearest light, and who are assured of the truth of it: but then

the devils also believe; the Arabic version reads, "the devils likewise so believe"; they believe the same truth; they know and believe there is but one God, and not many; and they know that the God of Israel is he; and that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are the one God; they know and believe him to be the most high God, whose servants the ministers of the Gospel are; and they know and believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Son of God, and the Messiah,

Acts 16:17.

And tremble; at the wrath of God, which they now feel, and at the thought of future torments, which they expect, Mark 5:7 and which is more than some men do; and yet these shall not be saved, their damnation is certain and inevitable, 2 Peter 2:4 wherefore it follows, that a bare historical faith will not profit, and cannot save any; a man may have all faith of this kind, and be damned; and therefore it is not to be boasted of, nor trusted to.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou believest that there is one God - One of the great and cardinal doctrines of religion is here selected as an illustration of all. The design of the apostle seems to have been to select one of the doctrines of religion, the belief of which would - if mere belief in any doctrine could - save the soul; and to show that even this might be held as an article of faith by those who could be supposed by no one to have any claim to the name of Christian. He selects, therefore, the great fundamental doctrine of all religion, - the doctrine of the existence of one Supreme Being, - and shows that if even this were held in such a way as it might be, and as it was held by devils, it could not save men. The apostle here is not to be supposed to be addressing such an one as Paul, who held to the doctrine that we are justified by faith; nor is he to be supposed to be combating the doctrine of Paul, as some have maintained, (see the Introduction); but he is to be regarded as addressing one who held, in the broadest and most unqualified sense, that provided there was faith, a man would be saved. To this he replies, that even the devils might have faith of a certain sort, and faith that would produce sensible effects on them of a certain kind, and still it could not be supposed that they had true religion, or that they would be saved. Why might not the same thing occur in regard to man?

Thou doest well - So far as this is concerned, or so far as it goes. It is a doctrine which ought to be held, for it is one of the great fundamental truths of religion.

The devils - The “demons,” - (τα δαιμόνια ta daimonia). There is, properly, but one being spoken of in the New Testament as “the devil” - ὁ διάβολος ho diabolos, and ὁ Σατᾶν ho Satan - though “demons” are frequently spoken of in the plural number. They are represented as evil spirits, subject to Satan, or under his control, and engaged with him in carrying out his plans of wickedness. These spirits or demons were supposed to wander in desert and desolate places, Matthew 12:43, or to dwell in the atmosphere, (Notes, Ephesians 2:2); they were thought to have the power of working miracles, but not for good, (Revelation 16:14; compare John 10:21); to be hostile to mankind, John 8:44; to utter the pagan oracles, Acts 16:17; to lurk in the idols of the heathen, 1 Corinthians 10:20; and to take up their abodes in the bodies of men, afflicting them with various kinds of diseases, Matthew 7:22; Matthew 9:34; Matthew 10:8; Matthew 17:18; Mark 7:29-30; Luke 4:33; Luke 8:27, Luke 8:30, et soepe. It is of these evil spirits that the apostle speaks when he says that they believe.

Also believe - That is, particularly, they believe in the existence of the one God. How far their knowledge may extend respecting God, we cannot know; but they are never represented in the Scriptures as denying his existence, or as doubting the great truths of religion. They are never described as atheists. That is a sin of this world only. They are not represented as sceptics. That, too, is a peculiar sin of the earth; and probably, in all the universe besides, there are no beings but those who dwell on this globe, who doubt or deny the existence of God, or the other great truths of religion.

And tremble - The word here used (φρίσσουσιν phrissousin) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, to be rough, uneven, jaggy, sc., with bristling hair; to bristle, to stand on end, as the hair does in a fright; and then to shudder or quake with fear, etc. Here the meaning is, that there was much more in the case referred to than mere speculative faith. There was a faith that produced some effect, and an effect of a very decided character. It did not, indeed, produce good works, or a holy life, but it made it manifest that there was faith; and, consequently, it followed that the existence of mere faith was not all that was necessary to save men, or to make it certain that they would be secure, unless it were held that the devils would be justified and saved by it. If they might hold such faith, and still remain in perdition, men might hold it, and go to perdition. A man should not infer, therefore, because he has faith, even that faith in God which will fill him with alarm, that therefore he is safe. He must have a faith which will produce another effect altogether - that which will lead to a holy life.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Thou believest that there is one God — This is the faith in which these persons put their hope of pleasing God, and of obtaining eternal life. Believing in the being and unity of God distinguished them from all the nations of the world; and having been circumcised, and thus brought into the covenant, they thought themselves secure of salvation. The insufficiency of this St. James immediately shows.

The devils also believe, and tremble. — It is well to believe there is one only true God; this truth universal nature proclaims. Even the devils believe it; but far from justifying or saving them, it leaves them in their damned state, and every act of it only increases their torment; φρισσουσι, they shudder with horror, they believe and tremble, are increasingly tormented; but they can neither love nor obey.