James 3:15

American Standard Version (1901)

This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία ἄνωθεν κατερχομένη, ἀλλʼ ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης.

Transliteration

Not estin this the sophia from anōthen katerchomenē, but epigeios, psychikē, daimoniōdēs.

Grammar Details

• *estin*: present indicative, active, 3rd singular - is
• *sophia*: nominative, feminine, singular - wisdom
• *anōthen*: adverb - from above/from the beginning
• *katerchomenē*: present participle, middle, nominative, feminine, singular - coming down
• *epigeios*: nominative, feminine, singular - earthly/worldly
• *psychikē*: nominative, feminine, singular - natural/unspiritual
• *daimoniōdēs*: nominative, feminine, singular - demonic

Word Meanings

• *sophia*: wisdom/skill/knowledge
• *anōthen*: from above/from heaven/from God
• *katerchomenē*: coming down/descending
• *epigeios*: earthly/worldly/terrestrial
• *psychikē*: natural/unspiritual/belonging to the soul
• *daimoniōdēs*: demonic/devilish/inspired by demons

Referenced Verses

• Jas 1:17 : 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
• Jude 1:19 : 19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.
• Jas 3:17 : 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.
• 1 Tim 4:1 : 1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
• Jas 1:5 : 5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
• 1 Cor 3:19 : 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:
• 2 Cor 1:12 : 12 For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
• 1 Cor 2:14 : 14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
• 2 Thess 2:9 : 9 [ even he], whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
• 1 Cor 3:3 : 3 for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
• 2 Cor 11:3 : 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
• Gen 3:1-5 : 1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
• 2 Sam 13:3 : 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.
• 2 Sam 15:31 : 31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
• 2 Sam 16:23 : 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
• Jer 4:22 : 22 For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
• Luke 16:8 : 8 And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
• John 3:17 : 17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
• John 8:44 : 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
• Acts 13:10 : 10 and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
• Rom 1:22 : 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
• 1 Cor 1:19-20 : 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
• 1 Cor 1:27 : 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
• 1 Cor 2:6-7 : 6 We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, [even] the [wisdom] that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory:
• 1 John 3:8-9 : 8 he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
• Rev 2:24 : 24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.
• Rev 9:11 : 11 They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek [tongue] he hath the name Apollyon.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.