James 2:10
New International Version
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

New Living Translation
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

English Standard Version
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Berean Literal Bible
For whoever shall keep the whole Law, but shall stumble in one point, he has become guilty of all.

King James Bible
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

New King James Version
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

New American Standard Bible
For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.

NASB 1995
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

NASB 1977
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Legacy Standard Bible
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Amplified Bible
For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it.

Christian Standard Bible
For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all.

American Standard Version
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For whoever keeps the whole Written Law and slips in one thing, he is condemned by the entire Law.

Contemporary English Version
If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.

English Revised Version
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If someone obeys all of God's laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them.

Good News Translation
Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.

International Standard Version
For whoever keeps the whole Law but fails in one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Literal Standard Version
for whoever will keep the whole Law, but will stumble in one [point], he has become guilty of all;

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

New American Bible
For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it.

NET Bible
For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

New Revised Standard Version
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

New Heart English Bible
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Webster's Bible Translation
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Weymouth New Testament
A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.

World English Bible
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Young's Literal Translation
for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one point, he hath become guilty of all;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning against Favoritism
9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:19
So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 5:3
Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,

Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy--


Treasury of Scripture

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

For.

whosoever.

Deuteronomy 27:26
Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Matthew 5:18,19
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled…

Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

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Breaking Command Failed Fails Guilt Guilty Judged Keeps Kept Law Makes Offend Point Slip Stumbles Violating Whole
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Breaking Command Failed Fails Guilt Guilty Judged Keeps Kept Law Makes Offend Point Slip Stumbles Violating Whole
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.














(10) For whosoever shall keep . . .--Better, have kept the whole Law, but shall have offended in one, has become guilty of all. As a chain is snapped by failure of the weakest link, so the whole Law, in its harmony and completeness as beheld by God, is broken by one offence of one man; and the penalty falls, of its own natural weight and incidence, on the culprit.

Verse 10. - In this verse the subjunctives τηρήσῃ πταίσῃ, are rightly read by the Revisors, with א, B, C. The Law was express on the need of keeping all the commandments; see Leviticus 19:37 (the same chapter to which St. James has already referred), Καὶ φυλάξωσθε πάντα τὸν νόμον μου καὶ πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά). He is guilty of all. The very same thought is found in rabbinical writers (Talmud, 'Schabbath,' fol. 70); a saying of R. Johanan: "Quodsi racist omnia unum vero omitter omnium est singulorum reus." Other passages to the same effect may be seen in Schottgen, 'Horae Hebraicae,' vol. 1. p. 1017, etc.; and cf., 'Pirqe Aboth,' 4:15. Was it a false inference from St. James's teaching in this verso that led the Judaizers of Acts 15. to lay down the law "Except ye be circumcised after the customs of Moses ye cannot be saved"? "Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all," might seem to suggest such an inference: "To whom," says St. James himself, "we gave no commandment" (Acts 15:24). (On the teaching of this tenth verse there is an interesting letter of Augustine's to Jerome, which well repays study: 'Ep.' 167.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Whoever
Ὅστις (Hostis)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

keeps
τηρήσῃ (tērēsē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5083: From teros; to guard, i.e. To note; by implication, to detain; by extension, to withhold; by extension, to withhold.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

whole
ὅλον (holon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3650: All, the whole, entire, complete. A primary word; 'whole' or 'all', i.e. Complete, especially as noun or adverb.

Law
νόμον (nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

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

stumbles
πταίσῃ (ptaisē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4417: To stumble, fall, sin, err, transgress. A form of pipto; to trip, i.e. to err, sin, fail.

at
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.

just one [point]
ἑνί (heni)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

is
γέγονεν (gegonen)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

guilty
ἔνοχος (enochos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1777: Involved in, held in, hence: liable, generally with dat. (or gen.) of the punishment. From enecho; liable to.

of [breaking] all of it.
πάντων (pantōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.


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NT Letters: James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 2:9
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