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James 1

James 1:17 KJV (With Strong’s)

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17

Everyd good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whomf is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

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John 3:27• ²⁷John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27)

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1 Cor. 4:7• ⁷For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Cor. 4:7)

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1 Sam. 15:29• ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. (1 Sam. 15:29)

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Mal. 3:6• ⁶For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6)

More on:

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Father,

Gifts,

Perfect

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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good.

James 1:5• ⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)

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James 3:15,17• ¹⁵This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:15,17)

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Gen. 41:16,38‑39• ¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
³⁸And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: (Gen. 41:16,38‑39)

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Ex. 4:11‑12• ¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (Ex. 4:11‑12)

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Ex. 31:3‑6• ³And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
⁴To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
⁵And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
⁶And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; (Ex. 31:3‑6)

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Ex. 36:1‑2• ¹Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.
²And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: (Ex. 36:1‑2)

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Num. 11:17,25• ¹⁷And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
²⁵And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. (Num. 11:17,25)

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1 Chron. 22:12• ¹²Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God. (1 Chron. 22:12)

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1 Chron. 29:19• ¹⁹And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision. (1 Chron. 29:19)

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2 Chron. 1:11‑12• ¹¹And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
¹²Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. (2 Chron. 1:11‑12)

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Prov. 2:6• ⁶For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (Prov. 2:6)

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Isa. 28:26• ²⁶For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. (Isa. 28:26)

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Dan. 2:21‑22,27‑30• ²¹And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
²²He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
²⁷Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;
²⁸But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
²⁹As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
³⁰But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. (Dan. 2:21‑22,27‑30)

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Matt. 7:11• ¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matt. 7:11)

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Matt. 11:25‑26• ²⁵At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
²⁶Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (Matt. 11:25‑26)

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Matt. 13:11‑12• ¹¹He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matt. 13:11‑12)

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Luke 11:13• ¹³If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13)

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John 3:27• ²⁷John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27)

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Acts 5:31• ³¹Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)

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Acts 11:18• ¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18)

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Rom. 6:23• ²³For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

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Rom. 11:30• ³⁰For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: (Rom. 11:30)

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Rom. 12:6‑8• ⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
⁷Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
⁸Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6‑8)

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1 Cor. 4:7• ⁷For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Cor. 4:7)

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1 Cor. 12:4‑12• ⁴Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
⁵And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
⁶And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
¹¹But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Cor. 12:4‑12)

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Eph. 2:3‑5,8• ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph. 2:3‑5,8)

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Eph. 4:8‑11• ⁸Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
⁹(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
¹⁰He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Eph. 4:8‑11)

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Phil. 1:29• ²⁹For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; (Phil. 1:29)

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Titus 3:3‑5• ³For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:3‑5)

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1 John 4:10• ¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

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1 John 5:11‑12• ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:11‑12)

from the.

Gen. 1:2‑5,14‑15• ²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
³And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
⁴And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
¹⁴And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
¹⁵And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (Gen. 1:2‑5,14‑15)

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Deut. 4:19• ¹⁹And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. (Deut. 4:19)

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Psa. 19:1‑8• ¹<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork.
²Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
³There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
⁴Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
⁶His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
⁸The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psa. 19:1‑8)

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Psa. 84:11• ¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (Psa. 84:11)

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Isa. 45:7• ⁷I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. (Isa. 45:7)

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Isa. 60:19• ¹⁹The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. (Isa. 60:19)

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John 1:9• ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9)

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John 8:12• ¹²Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

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2 Cor. 4:6• ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6)

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Eph. 1:18• ¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Eph. 1:18)

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1 John 1:5• ⁵This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

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Rev. 21:23• ²³And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev. 21:23)

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Rev. 22:5• ⁵And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev. 22:5)

no variableness.

Num. 23:19• ¹⁹God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Num. 23:19)

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1 Sam. 15:29• ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. (1 Sam. 15:29)

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Psa. 122:6• ⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (Psa. 122:6)

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Isa. 46:10• ¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isa. 46:10)

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Mal. 3:6• ⁶For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6)

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Rom. 11:29• ²⁹For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom. 11:29)

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Heb. 1:11‑12• ¹¹They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
¹²And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (Heb. 1:11‑12)

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Heb. 13:8• ⁸Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Heb. 13:8)

• All that is good, both in the manner of giving as well as the thing given, comes from God. (“The Practical Christian Life: James 1” by H. Smith)

• He also is the source of all spiritual light. No darkness comes from Him. He is not only good and pure light, but all goodness and all light come from Him, and with Him there is no variation nor shadow of turning. With our changing circumstances or our varying moods He does not change. (“The Practical Christian Life: James 1” by H. Smith)

• What we really know we know as the result of divine revelation, and He is the “Father” or “Source” of all such light. Man’s lights are very uncertain. The light of “science” so-called is very variable. It burns brightly, it dies down, it re-appears, it flares up, it goes out, finally extinguished by an oncoming generation which feels sure it knows more than the outgoing generation. With the Father of lights, and hence with all light that really comes from Him, there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. (“James 1” by F.B. Hole)

J. N. Darby Translation

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17

Every good giftb and every perfect giftb comes downc from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning.

JND Translation Notes

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b

Dosis, then dorema; the words are nearly the same. strictly dosis is "the giving," dorema "the thing freely given." In English "gift" is both the giving and the thing given.

c

Lit. "is coming down"; its true character. see ch. 3.16.

W. Kelly Translation

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17

Every good givinga and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor shadow of turning.

WK Translation Notes

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a

The Revisers make no notice beyond the KJV use of the word "gift." Now we all know that the first of the two references (dosis agathē), though properly expressive of the act of giving may be and often is used for a gift or present; but is it conceivable that we should have the two terms (dōrēma teleion) without a distinction, other than brought together and differently qualified? Ought we not to allow that "every good giving" is here distinguished from "every perfect gift?" The character of the act good, the result in the thing given perfect, the Father of lights is the source, in contrast with evil in act and result flowing from self.