James 2:21

 James 2:21 

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

a. ASV: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar? [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he raised Isaac his son upon the altar? [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. NLT: 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? [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

a.  [Was] not [Strong: 3756 ou, oo; a primary word; the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not:—+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

b. Abraham [Strong: 11 Abraám, ab-rah-am'; of Hebrew origin [H85]; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch:—Abraham. (In Acts 7:16 the text should probably read Jacob.)]

c. our [Strong: 2257 hēmōn, hay-mone'; genitive case plural of G1473; of (or from) us:—our (company), us, we.]

d. father [Strong: 3962 patḗr, pat-ayr'; apparently a primary word; a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):—father, parent.]

e. justified [Strong: 1344 dikaióō, dik-ah-yo'-o; from G1342; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:—free, justify(-ier), be righteous.]

f. by [Strong: 1537 ek, ek; a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):—after, among, × are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, × hereby, + very highly, in, …ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, × thenceforth, through, × unto, × vehemently, with(-out).]

g. works [Strong: 2041 érgon, er'-gon; from a primary (but obsolete) ἔργω érgō (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:—deed, doing, labour, work.]

h. [when he had] offered [Strong: 399 anaphérō, an-af-er'-o; from G303 and G5342; to take up (literally or figuratively):—bear, bring (carry, lead) up, offer (up).]

i. Isaac [Strong: 2464 Isaák, ee-sah-ak'; of Hebrew origin (H3327); Isaac (i.e. Jitschak), the son of Abraham:—Isaac.]

j. his [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

k. [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

l. son [Strong: 5207 huiŏs, hwee-os'; apparently a primary word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship:—child, foal, son.]

m. upon [Strong: 1909  epí, ep-ee'; a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:—about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, × have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with.]

n. the [Strong: 3588. [to] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [to] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

o. altar [Strong: 2379 thysiastḗrion, thoo-see-as-tay'-ree-on; from a derivative of G2378; a place of sacrifice, i.e. an altar (special or genitive case, literal or figurative):—altar.]

1). Faith by itself saves, but it will not be alone. Works or actions will accompany it. 

Faith through grace will produce action.

a). Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

b). Romans 16:25, 26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

c). Mark 2:1-12 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2:2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

2:6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

2:9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

2:10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

2:11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

2). Abraham was so fully persuaded by God that isaac was the seed that he believed that if he did offer him as a burnt offering that God would raise him from the dead to fulfill his promise to Abraham.

a). Genesis 22:1-12 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

22:9 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.

22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

22:11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

b). Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

(1)   Accounting [Strong: 3049 * logizomai] [Strong: middle voice from 3056; to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively):--conclude, (ac-)count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).] [Thayer: 1. to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over; hence; to take into account, to make account of; equivalent to to number among, reckon with; to reckon or account, and treat accordingly; to reckon inwardly, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate (A. V. reason); by reckoning up all the reasons to gather or infer; to consider, take account, weigh, meditate on;  a thing, with a view to obtaining it; to suppose, deem, judge: absolutely; to determine, purpose, decide.] [Zodhiates: reason, word, account, to reckon, impute, number. To put together with one’s mind, to count, to occupy oneself with reckonings or calculations. To reason, to think. To count something to somebody means to reckon something to a person, to put to his account.]

 

c). In the mind of Abraham, Isaac was already dead. This is was is meant by the phrase, “…from the dead; from whence he also received him in a figure.”

 

d). [NASB] “…from the dead; from which he also received back as a type.”

 

e). [Amplified Bible] “Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead, potentially sacrificed, he did actually receive him back from the dead.”