James 2:2
New International Version
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.

New Living Translation
For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.

English Standard Version
For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,

Berean Standard Bible
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

Berean Literal Bible
For if a man might come into your assembly in splendid apparel with gold rings, and a poor man in shabby apparel also might come in,

King James Bible
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

New King James Version
For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

New American Standard Bible
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

NASB 1995
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

NASB 1977
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

Legacy Standard Bible
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

Amplified Bible
For if a man comes into your meeting place wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

Christian Standard Bible
For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.

American Standard Version
For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For if a man will enter your assembly with a gold ring or fine clothing and a poor man enters in dirty clothing,

Contemporary English Version
Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,

English Revised Version
For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes.

Good News Translation
Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.

International Standard Version
Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in.

Literal Standard Version
for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in radiant clothing, and there may also come in a poor man in vile clothing,

Majority Standard Bible
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

New American Bible
For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,

NET Bible
For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes,

New Revised Standard Version
For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in,

New Heart English Bible
For if someone with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor person in filthy clothing also comes in;

Webster's Bible Translation
For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

Weymouth New Testament
For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing shabby clothes,

World English Bible
For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,

Young's Literal Translation
for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning against Favoritism
1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”…

Cross References
Zechariah 3:3
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments as he stood before the angel.

Luke 23:11
And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.

James 2:3
If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, "Here is a seat of honor," but say to the poor man, "You must stand" or "Sit at my feet,"


Treasury of Scripture

For if there come to your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

assembly.

Esther 3:10
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

Esther 8:2
And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

goodly.

Genesis 27:15
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

Matthew 11:8,9
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses…

in vile.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Zechariah 3:3,4
Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel…

Jump to Previous
Apparel Assembly Clothes Clothing Dirty Dressed Fair Filthy Fine Gay Gold Goodly Meeting Meetings Poor Raiment Ring Rings Splendid Suppose Synagogue Vile Wearing
Jump to Next
Apparel Assembly Clothes Clothing Dirty Dressed Fair Filthy Fine Gay Gold Goodly Meeting Meetings Poor Raiment Ring Rings Splendid Suppose Synagogue Vile Wearing
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.














(2) For if there come unto your assembly (literally, synagogue).--This is the only place in the New Testament where the Jewish word is used for a Christian congregation.

A man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel.--Better, a man golden-ringed, in bright apparel. Roman satirists had much to say upon the fops and dandies of their time, with "all their fingers laden with rings"; some, if we may trust the sneer of Martial, having six on each; and others with heavy gold or light, according to the oppressiveness of the season; no doubt, the fashions set in Rome extended to Jerusalem. "Goodly apparel" is, rather, gorgeous--splendid in colour or ornament; the same two words are translated "gay clothing" in the following verse.

And there come in also a poor man in vile raiment.--Squalid, even dirty, as from work and wear--the exact opposite of the idle over-dressed exquisite.

Verses 2-4. - Proof that they were guilty of respect of persons. Observe the insight which this passage gives us into the cha-racier of the assemblies of the early Christians, showing

(1) that the entrance of a rich man was not entirely unknown, but

(2) that it was probably exceptional, because so much was made of him. Notice

(3) συναγωγή used here, and here only in the New Testament, of a Christian assembly for worship (cf. Ignatius, 'Ad Polye.,' c. 4, Πυκνότερον συναγωγαὶ γινέσθωσαν). (On the distinction between συναγωγὴ and ἔκκλησία, and the history of the terms and their use, see an interesting section in Trench's ' Synonyms,' p. 1.) Verse 2. - A man with a gold ring (ἀνὴρ χρυσοδακτύλιος). The word is found here only. The English Versions (both A.V. and R.V.) needlessly limit its meaning. The man was probably bedecked with a number of rings, and had not one only. In goodly apparel. The same phrase is rendering "gay clothing" in ver. 3. The variation is quite unnecessary, the Greek being identical in both places, and rightly rendered by R.V. "fine clothing." It is curious to find a similar needless variation in the Vulgate, which has in veste candida in ver. 2, and veste proeclara in ver. 3.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Suppose
Ἐὰν (Ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

a man
ἀνὴρ (anēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

comes
εἰσέλθῃ (eiselthē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

meeting
συναγωγὴν (synagōgēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4864: From sunago; an assemblage of persons; specially, a Jewish 'synagogue'; by analogy, a Christian church.

[wearing] a gold ring
χρυσοδακτύλιος (chrysodaktylios)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5554: Adorned with a gold ring. From chrusos and daktulios; gold-ringed, i.e. Wearing a golden finger-ring or similar jewelry.

[and]
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

fine
λαμπρᾷ (lampra)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2986: From the same as lampas; radiant; by analogy, limpid; figuratively, magnificent or sumptuous.

clothes,
ἐσθῆτι (esthēti)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2066: Clothing, raiment, vestment, robe. From hennumi; dress.

and
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

a poor [man]
πτωχὸς (ptōchos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4434: Poor, destitute, spiritually poor, either in a good sense (humble devout persons) or bad.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

shabby
ῥυπαρᾷ (rhypara)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4508: Filthy, defiled, dirty. From rhupos; dirty, i.e. cheap or shabby; morally, wicked.

clothes
ἐσθῆτι (esthēti)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2066: Clothing, raiment, vestment, robe. From hennumi; dress.

also
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

comes in.
εἰσέλθῃ (eiselthē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.


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NT Letters: James 2:2 For if a man with a gold (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 2:1
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