Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

James 1:15

These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Death;   Lust;   Sin;   Temptation;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Chastity-Impurity;   Death;   Error;   Eternal;   Life-Death;   Lust;   Origin of Sin;   Sin;   Sin's;   Sin-Saviour;   Spiritual;   Transgression;   The Topic Concordance - Death;   Lust;   Sin;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Death, Eternal;   Sin;   Temptation;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lust;   Sin;   Tempt;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Death;   Steal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Providence of God;   Temptation, Test;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sin;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Achan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Concupiscence;   Fall;   James, the Letter;   Lust;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   Nahum;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Eternal Sin;   Fall;   Hell;   Hellenism;   Lust;   Man;   Metaphor;   Sin;   Sin (2);   Union with God;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Shelomith;   Temptation;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Conceive;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Roman Catholics;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Conception;   Death;   Fall, the;   Finish;   James, Epistle of;   Tempt;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Adam, Book of;   Lord's Prayer, the;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for December 28;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 16;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.
Revised Standard Version
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then when lust hath coceaved she bringeth forth synne and synne whe it is fynisshed bringeth forthe deeth.
Hebrew Names Version
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
New American Standard Bible
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.
New Century Version
This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death.
Update Bible Version
Then the desire, when it has conceived, bears sin: and the sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
English Standard Version
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
World English Bible
Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then desire having conceived, bringeth forth sin; and sin being perfected, bringeth forth death.
Weymouth's New Testament
Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Aftirward coueityng, whanne it hath conseyued, bringith forth synne; but synne, whanne it is fillid, gendrith deth.
English Revised Version
Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
Berean Standard Bible
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Contemporary English Version
Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.
Amplified Bible
Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.
American Standard Version
Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.
Bible in Basic English
Then when its time comes, desire gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is of full growth, gives birth to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
Darby Translation
then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death.
International Standard Version
When that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to sin; when that sin grows up, it gives birth to death.Job 1:15:35; Psalm 7:14; Romans 6:21,23;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And this desire conceiveth and beareth sin; and sin, when it is perfected, beareth death.
Murdock Translation
And this [fn] lust conceiveth, and bringeth forth sin; and sin, when mature, bringeth forth death.
King James Version (1611)
Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth forth sinne: and sinne, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
New Life Bible
When he does what his bad thoughts tell him to do, he sins. When sin completes its work, it brings death.
New Revised Standard
then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth foorth sinne, and sinne when it is finished, bringeth foorth death.
George Lamsa Translation
Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin when it has matured, brings forth death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, the coveting, having conceived, giveth birth to sin, and, the sin, when full-grown, bringeth forth death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then, when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then, when lust hath conceaued, it bryngeth foorth sinne: and sinne when it is finished, bryngeth foorth death.
Good News Translation
Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Christian Standard Bible®
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
King James Version
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Lexham English Bible
Then desire, after it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is brought to completion, gives birth to death.
Literal Translation
Then having conceived lust brings forth sin. And sin being fully formed brings forth death.
Young's Literal Translation
afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The whe lust hath conceaued, she bringeth forth synne, & synne when it is fynished, bringeth forth deeth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and the genuine offspring of sin is death.
New English Translation
Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
New King James Version
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Then when desire calves out, it gives birth to sin, and when sin comes to full weight, it turns right into death.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Contextual Overview

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Genesis 3:6, Genesis 4:5-8, Job 15:35, Psalms 7:14, Isaiah 59:4, Micah 2:1-3, Matthew 26:14, Matthew 26:48-59, Acts 5:1-3

when: Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:17-19, Psalms 9:17, Romans 5:12-21, Romans 6:21-23, Revelation 20:14, Revelation 20:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:7 - sin Genesis 8:21 - the imagination Joshua 7:21 - took them 2 Samuel 11:3 - sent 2 Samuel 11:4 - he lay 1 Kings 21:2 - Give me Job 15:12 - thine heart Job 31:1 - think Proverbs 4:23 - for Proverbs 6:25 - Lust Proverbs 9:17 - Stolen Isaiah 32:6 - and his heart Isaiah 33:11 - conceive Isaiah 55:7 - his thoughts Isaiah 59:13 - speaking Isaiah 65:2 - after Jeremiah 17:9 - General Jeremiah 22:17 - thine eyes Jeremiah 31:30 - General Jeremiah 44:25 - ye will Ezekiel 11:21 - whose Ezekiel 18:30 - so Zechariah 7:10 - imagine Malachi 2:15 - take Matthew 5:28 - That Mark 7:20 - General Mark 7:21 - out Acts 5:4 - why Romans 6:12 - in the lusts Romans 6:23 - For the wages Romans 7:5 - did work Romans 7:8 - wrought Romans 8:6 - to be carnally minded Romans 8:13 - ye live James 5:20 - from death 1 John 3:15 - hateth 1 John 5:17 - and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then when lust hath conceived,.... A proposal of pleasure or profit being made, agreeable to lust, or the principle of corrupt nature, sinful man is pleased with it; and instead of resisting and rejecting the motion made, he admits of it, and receives it, and cherishes it in his mind; he dallies and plays with it; he dwells upon it in his thoughts, and hides it under his tongue, and in his heart, as a sweet morsel, and forsakes it not, but contrives ways and means how to bring it about; and this is lust's conceiving. The figure is used in Psalms 7:14 on which Kimchi, a Jewish commentator, has this note;

"he (the psalmist) compares the thoughts of the heart

להריון, "to a conception", and when they go out in word, this is "travail", and in work or act, this is "bringing forth".''

And so it follows here,

it bringeth forth sin; into act, not only by consenting to it, but by performing it:

and sin, when it is finished: being solicited, is agreed to, and actually committed:

bringeth forth death; as the first sin of man brought death into the world, brought a spiritual death, or moral death upon man, subjected him to a corporeal death, and made him liable to an eternal one; so every sin is deserving of death, death is the just wages of it; yea, even the motions of sin work in men to bring forth fruit unto death. Something like these several gradual steps, in which sin proceeds, is observed by the Jews, and expressed in much the like language, in allegorizing the case of Lot, and his two daughters i;

"the concupiscent soul (or "lust") stirs up the evil figment, and imagines by it, and it cleaves to every evil imagination, שמתעברת, "until it conceives a little", and produces in the heart of man the evil thought, and cleaves to it; and as yet it is in his heart, and is not "finished" to do it, until this desire or lust stirs up the strength of the body, first to cleave to the evil figment, and then תשלום הרעה, "sin is finished"; as it is said, Genesis 19:36.''

i Midrash Haneelam in Zohar in Gen. fol. 67. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then when lust hath conceived - Compare Job 15:35. The allusion here is obvious. The meaning is, when the desire which we have naturally is quickened, or made to act, the result is that sin is produced. As our desires of good lie in the mind by nature, as our propensities exist as they were created, they cannot be regarded as sin, or treated as such; but when they are indulged, when plans of gratification are formed, when they are developed in actual life, the effect is sin. In the mere desire of good, of happiness, of food, of raiment, there is no sin; it becomes sin when indulged in an improper manner, and when it leads us to seek that which is forbidden - to invade the rights of others, or in any way to violate the laws of God. The Rabbis have a metaphor which strongly expresses the general sense of this passage” - “Evil concupiscence is at the beginning like the thread of a spider’s web; afterwards it is like a cart rope.” Sanhedrin, fol. 99.

It bringeth forth sin - The result is sin - open, actual sin. When that which is conceived in the heart is matured, it is seen to be sin. The design of all this is to show that sin is not to be traced to God, but to man himself; and in order to this, the apostle says that there is enough in the heart of man to account for all actual sin, without supposing that it is caused by God. The solution which he gives is, that there are certain propensities in man which, when they are suffered to act themselves out, will account for all the sin in the world. In regard to those native propensities themselves, he does not say whether he regards them as sinful and blameworthy or not; and the probability is, that he did not design to enter into a formal examination, or to make a formal statement, of the nature of these propensities themselves. He looked at man as he is as a creature of God - as endowed with certain animal propensities - as seen, in fact, to have strong passions by nature; and he showed that there was enough in him to account for the existence of sin, without bringing in the agency of God, or charging it on him.

In reference to those propensities, it may be observed that there are two kinds, either of which may account for the existence of sin, but which are frequently both combined. There are, first, our natural propensities; those which we have as men, as endowed with an animal nature, as having constitutional desires to be gratified, and wants to be supplied. Such Adam had in innocence; such the Saviour had; and such are to be regarded as in no respect in themselves sinful and wrong. Yet they may, in our case, as they did in Adam, lead us to sin, because, under their strong influence, we may be led to desire that which is forbidden, or which belongs to another. But there are, secondly, the propensities and inclinations which we have as the result of the fall, and which are evil in their nature and tendency; which as a matter of course, and especially when combined with the former, lead to open transgression. It is not always easy to separate these, and in fact they are often combined in producing the actual guilt of the world. It often requires a close analysis of a man’s own mind to detect these different ingredients in his conduct, and the one often gets the credit of the other. The apostle James seems to have looked at it as a simple matter of fact, with a common sense view, by saying that there were “desires” (ἐπιθυμίας epithumias) in a man’s own mind which would account for all the actual sin in the world, without charging it on God. Of the truth of this, no one can entertain a doubt. - (See the supplementary note above at James 1:14.)

And sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death - The result of sin when it is fully carried out, is death - death in all forms. The idea is, that death, in whatever form it exists, is to be traced to sin, and that sin will naturally and regularly produce it. There is a strong similarity between this declaration and that of the apostle Paul Romans 6:21-23; and it is probable that James had that passage in his mind. See the sentiment illustrated in the notes at that passage, and Romans 5:12 note. Any one who indulges in a sinful thought or corrupt desire, should reflect that it may end in death - death temporal and eternal. Its natural tendency will be to produce such a death. This reflection should induce us to check an evil thought or desire at the beginning. Not for one moment should we indulge in it, for soon it may secure the mastery and be beyond our control; and the end may be seen in the grave, and the awful world of woe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. When lust hath conceived — When the evil propensity works unchecked, it bringeth forth sin-the evil act between the parties is perpetrated.

And sin, when it is finished — When this breach of the law of God and of innocence has been a sufficient time completed, it bringeth forth death-the spurious offspring is the fruit of the criminal connection, and the evidence of that death or punishment due to the transgressors.

Any person acquainted with the import of the verbs συλλαμβανειν, τικτειν, and αποκυειν, will see that this is the metaphor, and that I have not exhausted it. συλλαμβανω signifies concipio sobolem, quae comprehenditur utero; concipio foetum; - τικτω, pario, genero, efficio; - αποκυεω ex απο et κυω, praegnans sum, in utero gero. Verbum proprium praegnantium, quae foetum maturum emittunt. Interdum etiam gignendi notionem habet.-MAIUS, Obser. Sacr., vol. ii., page 184. Kypke and Schleusner.

Sin is a small matter in its commencement; but by indulgence it grows great, and multiplies itself beyond all calculation. To use the rabbinical metaphor lately adduced, it is, in the commencement, like the thread of a spider's web-almost imperceptible through its extreme tenuity or fineness, and as easily broken, for it is as yet but a simple irregular imagination; afterwards it becomes like a cart rope-it has, by being indulged produced strong desire and delight; next consent; then, time, place, and opportunity serving, that which was conceived in the mind, and finished in that purpose, is consummated by act.

"The soul, which the Greek philosophers considered as the seat of the appetites and passions, is called by Philo τοθηλυ, the female part of our nature; and the spirit τοαρρεν, the male part. In allusion to this notion, James represents men's lust as a harlot; which entices their understanding and will into its impure embraces, and from that conjunction conceives sin. Sin, being brought forth, immediately acts, and is nourished by frequent repetition, till at length it gains such strength that in its turn it begets death. This is the true genealogy of sin and death. Lust is the mother of sin, and sin the mother of death, and the sinner the parent of both." See Macknight.


 
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