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Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

James 4:17

Verse 17 Therefore to him who knoweth.

They sin who know by God's revealed will what to do, and the doing of which is to do good, and refuse to do or neglect to do it. The best reason in the world herein appears. Submission to the divine will is required, if divine favor is expected, it is and can be nothing short of rebellion. Rebellion is sin. This is unquestioned. By it the angels fell. Intelligent creatures made in the image of God can not indulge in rebellion with impunity. Let no one be deceived. God is not mocked. Especially let Christians guard well all the avenues of approach, for they have to do with subtle enemy the great enemy of souls.

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See also James 4:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse James 4:17. _TO HIM THAT KNOWETH TO DO GOOD_] As if he had said: After this warning none of you can plead _ignorance_; if, therefore, any of you shall be found to act their ungodly part, not ac...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEREFORE TO HIM THAT KNOWETH TO DO GOOD, AND DOETH IT NOT, TO HIM IT IS SIN - That is, he is guilty of sin if he does not do it. Cotton Mather adopted it as a principle of action, “that the ability t...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    IV. FURTHER EXHORTATIONS TO RIGHT LIVING CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Fightings and worldliness rebuked (James 4:1)_ 2. The Godly walk (James 4:7) James 4:1 A strong rebuke follows the statements concerning the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    This and the next paragraph denounce the vices of the rich, in the spirit of Amos and Isaiah; that they are Jews, and not Christians, seems obvious, if this epistle is to be got into the first centuri...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Come now, you who say, "Today, or tomorrow, we will go into this city, and we will spend a year there, and we will trade and make a profit." People like you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    MAN'S PLEASURE OR GOD'S WILL? (James 4:1-3)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SIN. App-128....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Therefore to him that knoweth to do good_ The law of conscience is here enforced in its utmost width. To leave undone what we know we ought to do, is sin, even though there be no outward act of what...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Man proposing, God disposing 13. _Go to now, ye that say_ The warnings pass on to another form of the worldliness of the double-minded; the far-reaching plans for the future such as our Lord had conde...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    13–17. THE TEMPTATIONS OF WEALTH The address is still probably to the brethren, some of whom engaged in business have not learnt to recognise God’s law and His will in commercial projects and plans....

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

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  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _DO NOT BOAST ABOUT TOMORROW -- JAMES 4:13-17:_ James gives a vivid picture of some who made great plans for the future. Their sin was not in planning for the future, but in failing to consider God in...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

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  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 2373 SINS OF OMISSION CONSIDERED James 4:17. _To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin_. THERE is not any thing of which men are more convinced, than the shortnes...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

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  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE PRESUMPTION OF PLANNING WITHOUT GOD _Text 4:13-17_ James 4:13. Come now ye that say, to-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade and get gain: 14. whereas...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. The general principle is here stated: knowledge without practice is imputed to a man as presumptuous sin. James reverts...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    5 This passage has puzzled the commentators, and there are many and various explanations offered to solve what seems to be one of the most difficult passages in the Scriptures. A simple explanation, w...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

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  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

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  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    Although this verse may be regarded as standing independent of what has preceded, and as being in the form of a more or less inexact quotation, it is quite permissible to take it with what has gone be...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    James 4:13-17 form an independent section entirely unconnected with what precedes or follows. The section is very interesting as giving a picture of the commercial _Diaspora_ -Jew. The Jews of the Dis...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

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  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

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  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (9) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. (9) The conclusion of all the former treatise. The knowledge of the will of God does not only not at all profit, un...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

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  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (13) Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

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  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _SINFUL NEGLECT_ ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ James 4:17 It is with the Divine, as it is with the human, statute book—no man convicted at the bar...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

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  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEREFORE TO HIM THAT KNOWETH TO DO GOOD,.... This may regard not only the last particular of referring all things to the will of God, the sovereign disposer of life, and all events, which some might...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth _it_ not, to him it is sin. Ver. 17. _To him that knoweth_] Lest they should reply, we know all this, that except we live and God list, we can do n...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Now ye rejoice_ Καυχασθε, _ye glory, in your boastings_ Ye please yourselves in the vain thoughts which you entertain of these worldly projects and successes, and you boast of them. _All such rejoici...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    IT IS SIN; because it is neglect of known duty. Knowledge of duty increases obligation to perform it; and the neglect of known duty is sin....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Trust in God's providence essential:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

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  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    This chapter, to the end of v.6, continues the subject begun in Ch.3:13. Sensual. devilish wisdom was accompanied by wars and fightings: but this proceeded from the lusts of the flesh active within th...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    What is the intent of this verse? List some “good” that we know to do. What happens if we list 100 good things and only get 60 of them done? Is NOT doing the other 40 things a sin? Give a definition o...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin". "Therefore" -Indicating that this verse is connected with the preceding verses. James has outlined the right...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    11-17 Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they lai...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Either this may relate to all that the apostle had been before speaking of; q.d. I have admonished you of your duty, and now ye know what ye are to do, and therefore if you do it not it will be your s...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    James 4:17 Therefore G3767 knows G1492 (G5761) do G4160 (G5721) good G2570 and G2532 does G4160 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘To him therefore who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.' So there is really only one conclusion that they should come to. They should recognise their mortality and put their eff...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHRISTIANS NEED TO FACE UP TO THE FRAILTY OF THEIR LIVES (JAMES 4:12). The contrast between man in his inability to act as judge in contrast with the great Judge Himself, now leads up to the question...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    St. James, having warned his readers against worldliness, and exhorted them to humility before God, proceeds to censure the rich for their forgetfulness of their dependence upon God, their proud confi...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    James 4:17. THEREFORE: not a mere general inference drawn from what St. James has said in the previous part of his Epistle, but a particular inference drawn from this spirit of vain boasting. TO HIM...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

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  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    SIN SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

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  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Rebuke of worldliness and exhortation to humility before God. CHARACTERS: God, Satan. CONCLUSION: Worldly and fleshly lusts are the distemper which will not allow contentment or satisfacti...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    James 4:1. _From whence come wars and fightings among you?_ St. James saw in the Spirit the bloody and cruel wars which would rise among christian powers, much the same as among the heathen. He had a...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    SO THEN. "If you know what is right and good and fail to do it, this makes you guilty of sin. Your guilt is even greater, because you _knew better,_ yet did not do it!" This proves there are _sins of...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 4:17 FAILS TO DO IT describes the good acts that people do not do. This is as important to God as the sinful acts that they do. ⇐

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 4:13. SUCH A CITY.—“This city”; the one the speaker is supposed to have in mind. James 4:14. WHAT SHALL BE.—“What your life shall be on the morrow.” VANISHETH A...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JAMES 4:1 REBUKE OF QUARRELS ARISING FROM PRIDE AND GREED. A terribly sadden transition from the "peace" with which James 3:1. closed....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    This chapter could be entitled how to win friends and influence people. Guard your tongue, bring your tongue under control, use it for good, use it to encourage to build up, don't use it to tear down,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    John 13:17; John 15:22; John 9:41; Luke 12:47; Luke 12:48;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not — That knows what is right, and does not practise it. To him it is sin — This knowledge does not prevent, but increase, his condemnation....

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Observe here, 1. That sins of ignorance are sins, and render men greatly culpable, though ignorance will in some degree lessen their punishment. Observe here, 2. That to sin against light and knowled...

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Old Testament