Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

James 1:17

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Gifts from God;   God;   God Continued...;   Light;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blessings-Afflictions;   Endowments;   Gifts;   God;   Immutability;   Mutability-Immutability;   Names;   Promises, Divine;   Spiritual;   Titles and Names;   The Topic Concordance - Change;   Giving and Gifts;   God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gifts of God, the;   God;   Grace;   Light;   Steadfastness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Light;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Father;   Giving;   God;   Goodness;   Parents;   Punishment;   Trinity;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Church, the;   Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies;   Light;   Providence of God;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Immutability of God;   Trust in God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Light;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - High Priest;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Divine Freedom;   Gift, Giving;   Good;   James, the Letter;   Names of God;   Shadow;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   God;   James, Epistle of;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Perfection;   Sin;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gifts;   God;   Goodness (Human);   Hellenism;   James ;   King of Kings and Lord of Lords;   Light and Darkness;   Love;   Lust;   Necessity;   Unity;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   God;   11 To Desire, Will, Purpose;   1910 New Catholic Dictionary - father of light;   light, father of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Bless;   Light;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Apostasy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Astronomy;   Father;   Gift;   James, Epistle of;   Light;   Orthosia;   Providence;   Shade;   Truth;   Unchangeable;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Light;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 20;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 16;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.
Revised Standard Version
Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Every good gyfte and every parfayt gyft is from above and commeth doune fro the father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes.
Hebrew Names Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
New American Standard Bible
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
New Century Version
Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.
Update Bible Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
Webster's Bible Translation
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
English Standard Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
World English Bible
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
descending from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Weymouth's New Testament
Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ech good yifte, and ech perfit yifte is from aboue, and cometh doun fro the fadir of liytis, anentis whom is noon other chaungyng, ne ouerschadewyng of reward.
English Revised Version
Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
Berean Standard Bible
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Contemporary English Version
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.
Amplified Bible
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].
American Standard Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
Bible in Basic English
Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.
Complete Jewish Bible
Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning.
Darby Translation
Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.
International Standard Version
Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights,the Father of lights">[fn] in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow.Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; John 3:27; Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 4:7;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
every good gift and perfect from above descendeth, from the Father of lights, with whom is no alteration, nor the shadow of vicissitude.
Murdock Translation
Every good and perfect gift cometh down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no mutation, not even the shadow of change.
King James Version (1611)
Euery good gift, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, & commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, neither shadow of turning.
New Life Bible
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made by His turning.
New Revised Standard
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
George Lamsa Translation
Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of change.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Every good giving, and every perfect gift, is, from above, coming down from the Father of lights - with whom is no alternation, nor shadow cast, by turning:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euery good geuyng, and euery perfect gyft is from aboue, and cometh downe from the father of lyghtes, with who is no variablenes, neither shadow of turnyng.
Good News Translation
Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.
Christian Standard Bible®
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
King James Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Lexham English Bible
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change.
Literal Translation
every act of good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no change or shadow of turning.
Young's Literal Translation
every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euery good gifte, & euery parfait gift, is from aboue, and cometh downe from ye father of light, with whom is no variablenes, nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
every thing that is valuable, every gift that leads to perfection is deriv'd from heaven, it descends from that original light, which knows no change, no shadow, or decline:
New English Translation
All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.
New King James Version
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Simplified Cowboy Version
All good things and good horses come from the Boss, who don't ever change or falter.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

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

good: James 1:5, James 3:15, James 3:17, Genesis 41:16, Genesis 41:38, Genesis 41:39, Exodus 4:11, Exodus 4:12, Exodus 31:3-6, Exodus 36:1, Exodus 36:2, Numbers 11:17, Numbers 11:25, 1 Chronicles 22:12, 1 Chronicles 29:19, 2 Chronicles 1:11, 2 Chronicles 1:12, Proverbs 2:6, Isaiah 28:26, Daniel 2:21, Daniel 2:22, Daniel 2:27-30, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 11:26, Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:12, Luke 11:13, John 3:27, Acts 5:31, Acts 11:18, Romans 6:23, Romans 11:30, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-12, Ephesians 2:3-5, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 4:8-11, Philippians 1:29, Titus 3:3-5, 1 John 4:10, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12

from the: Genesis 1:2-5, Genesis 1:14, Genesis 1:15, Deuteronomy 4:19, Psalms 19:1-8, Psalms 84:11, Isaiah 45:7, Isaiah 60:19, John 1:9, John 8:12, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 1:18, 1 John 1:5, Revelation 21:23, Revelation 22:5

no variableness: Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Psalms 122:6, Isaiah 46:10, Malachi 3:6, Romans 11:29, Hebrews 1:11, Hebrews 1:12, Hebrews 13:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:6 - repented Exodus 28:3 - filled Exodus 31:6 - wise hearted Exodus 35:30 - See Exodus 35:31 - And he Exodus 35:34 - he hath Deuteronomy 32:4 - his work Judges 11:11 - uttered 1 Samuel 10:12 - who is their 1 Kings 4:29 - God 1 Chronicles 29:14 - willingly 2 Chronicles 9:23 - God Ezra 1:5 - whose spirit Ezra 7:27 - put such Nehemiah 2:12 - my God Job 1:21 - the Lord gave Job 23:13 - who can Job 25:3 - upon whom Job 28:12 - General Job 28:20 - General Job 36:3 - fetch Job 38:36 - Who hath put Job 39:17 - General Psalms 10:17 - thou wilt prepare Psalms 19:7 - perfect Psalms 36:9 - in thy Psalms 85:12 - the Lord Psalms 87:7 - all my Psalms 89:34 - nor Psalms 102:27 - thou art Psalms 119:176 - seek Proverbs 19:14 - and a Ecclesiastes 2:19 - wise under Ecclesiastes 3:14 - whatsoever Isaiah 40:14 - understanding Isaiah 46:4 - even to your Jeremiah 32:40 - but I Daniel 1:17 - God Daniel 6:26 - and stedfast Hosea 13:14 - repentance Hosea 14:8 - From me Matthew 19:17 - there Matthew 21:3 - straightway Mark 10:18 - that is Luke 18:19 - General John 3:3 - again John 15:5 - same John 19:11 - Thou Acts 6:3 - full Acts 7:23 - it came Acts 16:14 - whose Romans 3:12 - there is none 2 Corinthians 3:5 - but 2 Corinthians 5:18 - all 2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks Colossians 2:12 - the faith 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - the Lord 2 Timothy 2:25 - if Hebrews 6:4 - and have Hebrews 6:17 - the immutability 1 John 1:7 - as Revelation 1:4 - him

Cross-References

Genesis 9:13
I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
Job 38:12
"Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?
Psalms 8:1

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

O Lord , our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
Psalms 8:3
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—
Acts 13:47
For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Every good gift and every perfect gift,.... Whether of nature, providence, or grace, and especially the latter; spiritual gifts given along with Christ, or spiritual blessings in him; every such gift is; as the Vulgate Latin version reads, the "best" gift; better than those which only relate to the present life: and is "perfect" such as the gifts of righteousness, remission of sins, adoption, regeneration, and eternal life. The Jews say k, that the good things of this world are not truly good, in comparison of the good things of the world to come, and are not גמור טוב, "a perfect good." And every such an one is from above; is not from a man's self, from the creature, or from below, but from heaven, and from God who dwells there:

and cometh down from the Father of lights; or author of lights; of all corporeal light; as the sun, moon, and stars; of all natural, rational, and moral light, in angels and men; of all spiritual light, or the light of grace in regenerate persons; and of eternal light, the light of glory in the spirits of just then made perfect:

with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning: as there is in that great luminary, the sun in the firmament, which has its parallaxes, eclipses, and turnings, and casts its shadow; it rises and sets, appears and disappears every day; and it comes out of one tropic, and enters into another at certain seasons of the year: but with God, who is light itself, and in him is no darkness at all, there is no change, nor anything like it; he is changeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts; wherefore he being holy, cannot turn to that which is evil; nor can he, who is the fountain of light, be the cause of darkness, or admit of any in him; and since every good and perfect gift comes from him, evil cannot proceed from him, nor can he tempt any to it.

k Tzeror Hammor, fol. 23. 2, 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Every good gift and every perfect gift - The difference between good and perfect here, it is not easy to mark accurately. It may be that the former means that which is benevolent in its character and tendency; the latter that which is entire, where there is nothing even apparently wanting to complete it; where it can be regarded as good as a whole and in all its parts. The general sense is, that God is the author of all good. Every thing that is good on the earth we are to trace to him; evil has another origin. Compare Matthew 13:28.

Is from above - From God, who is often represented as dwelling above - in heaven.

And cometh down from the Father of lights - From God, the source and fountain of all light. Light, in the Scriptures, is the emblem ot knowledge, purity, happiness; and God is often represented as light. Compare 1 John 1:5. Notes, 1 Timothy 6:16. There is, doubtless, an allusion here to the heavenly bodies, among which the sun is the most brilliant. It appears to us to be the great original fountain of light, diffusing its radiance overall worlds. No cloud, no darkness seems to come from the sun, but it pours its rich effulgence on the farthest part of the universe. So it is with God. There is no darkness in him 1 John 1:5; and all the moral light and purity which there is in the universe is to be traced to him. The word Father here is used in a sense which is common in Hebrew (Compare the notes at Matthew 1:1) as denoting that which is the source of anything, or that from which anything proceeds. Compare the notes at Isaiah 9:6.

With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning - The design here is clearly to contrast God with the sun in a certain respect. As the source of light, there is a strong resemblance. But in the sun there are certain changes. It does not shine on all parts of the earth at the same time, nor in the same manner all the year. It rises and sets; it crosses the line, and seems to go far to the south, and sends its rays obliquely on the earth; then it ascends to the north, recrosses the line, and sends its rays obliquely on southern regions. By its revolutions it produces the changes of the seasons, and makes a constant variety on the earth in the productions of different climes. In this respect God is not indeed like the sun. With him there is no variableness, not even the appearance of turning. He is always the same, at all seasons of the year, and in all ages; there is no change in his character, his mode of being, his purposes and plans. What he was millions of ages before the worlds were made, he is now; what he is now, he will be countless millions of ages hence. We may be sure that whatever changes there may be in human affairs; whatever reverses we may undergo; whatever oceans we may cross, or whatever mountains we may climb, or in whatever worlds we may hereafter take up our abode, God is the same. The word which is here rendered “variableness” (παραλλαγὴ parallagē) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means change, alteration, vicissitude, and would properly be applied to the changes observed in astronomy. See the examples quoted in Wetstein. The phrase rendered “shadow of turning” would properly refer to the different shade or shadow cast by the sun from an object, in its various revolutions, in rising and setting, and in its changes at the different seasons of the year. God, on the other hand, is as if the sun stood in the meridian at noon-day, and never cast any shadow.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above — Whatever is good is from God; whatever is evil is from man himself. As from the sun, which is the father or fountain of light, all light comes; so from GOD, who is the infinite Fountain, Father, and Source of good, all good comes. And whatever can be called good, or pure, or light, or excellence of any kind, must necessarily spring from him, as he is the only source of all goodness and perfection.

With whom is no variableness — The sun, the fountain of light to the whole of our system, may be obscured by clouds; or the different bodies which revolve round him, and particularly the earth, may from time to time suffer a diminution of his light by the intervention of other bodies eclipsing his splendour; and his apparent tropical variation, shadow of turning; when, for instance, in our winter, he has declined to the southern tropic, the tropic of Capricorn, so that our days are greatly shortened, and we suffer in consequence a great diminution both of light and heat. But there is nothing of this kind with God; he is never affected by the changes and chances to which mortal things are exposed. He occupies no one place in the universe; he fills the heavens and the earth, is everywhere present, sees all, pervades all, and shines upon all; dispenses his blessings equally to the universe; hates nothing that he has made; is loving to every man; and his tender mercies are over all his works: therefore he is not affected with evil, nor does he tempt, or influence to sin, any man. The sun, the source of light, rises and sets with a continual variety as to the times of both, and the length of the time in which, in the course of three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-eight seconds, it has its revolution through the ecliptic, or rather the earth has its revolution round the sun; and by which its light and heat are, to the inhabitants of the earth, either constantly increasing or decreasing: but God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, is eternally the same, dispensing his good and perfect gifts-his earthly and heavenly blessings, to all his creatures, ever unclouded in himself, and ever nilling EVIL and willing GOOD. Men may hide themselves from his light by the works of darkness, as owls and bats hide themselves in dens and caves of the earth during the prevalency of the solar light: but his good will to his creatures is permanent; he wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may come unto him and live; and no man walks in wretchedness or misery but he who will not come unto God that he may have life. See diagram and notes at the end of this chapter. James 1:27; James 1:27.


 
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