King James Version

What Does James 1:25 Mean?

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. deed: or, doing”

Context

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. deed: or, doing

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(25) **But whoso looketh . . .**—Translate, *But he who looked into the perfect law of liberty and continued therein.* The past tense is still kept to enforce the figure of the preceding verse. The earnest student of the Scriptures stoops down in humility of body and mind to learn what the will of their Author may be. He reads, as it were, upon his knees; and if he finds therein a law, it is one of liberty and not slavery, life and not death—although, as Dean Alford observes here, “not in contrast with a former law of bondage, but as viewed on the side of its being the law of the new life and birth, with all its spontaneous and free development of obedience.” **Not a forgetful hearer . . .**—Literally, *not a hearer of forgetfulness, but a doer of work.* Thus rendered, the words of the sentence balance each other, and comment is needless. **This man shall be blessed in his deed.**—Or, as in the margin, *doing.* A return perhaps in thought to the Beatitudes, and the close of that Sermon on the Mount, of which they were the opening words. The blessedness of this humbly active Christian is like that of the wise man there spoken of “which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of James. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

James 1:25 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.