James 3:15

Geneva Bible (1560)

This wisedome descendeth not from aboue, but is earthly, sensuall, and deuilish.

📖 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 Euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whome is no variablenes, neither shadow of turning.
• Jude 1:19 : 19 These are they that separate them selues from other, naturall, hauing not the Spirit.
• Jas 3:17 : 17 But the wisedome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercie & good fruites, without iudging, and without hipocrisie.
• 1 Tim 4:1 : 1 Nowe the Spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall giue heede vnto spirits of errour, and doctrines of deuils,
• Jas 1:5 : 5 If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, which giueth to all men liberally, & reprocheth no man, and it shalbe giuen him.
• 1 Cor 3:19 : 19 For the wisdome of this worlde is foolishnesse with God: for it is written, He catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse.
• 2 Cor 1:12 : 12 For our reioycing is this, the testimonie of our conscience, that in simplicitie and godly purenesse, and not in fleshly wisedome, but by the grace of God wee haue had our conuersation in the worlde, and most of all to you wardes.
• 1 Cor 2:14 : 14 But the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishnesse vnto him: neither can hee knowe them, because they are spiritually discerned.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 Whose ende is damnation, whose God is their bellie, and whose glorie is to their shame, which minde earthly things.
• 2 Thess 2:9 : 9 Euen him whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders,
• 1 Cor 3:3 : 3 For yee are yet carnall: for whereas there is among you enuying, and strife, and diuisions, are ye not carnall, and walke as men?
• 2 Cor 11:3 : 3 But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtiltie, so your mindes shoulde be corrupt fro the simplicitie that is in Christ.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such false apostles are deceitfull workers, and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ. 14 And no marueile: for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transforme themselues, as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, whose end shall be according to their workes.
• Gen 3:1-5 : 1 Nowe the serpent was more subtill then any beast of the fielde, which the Lord God had made: and he said to the woman, Yea, hath God in deede said, Ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said vnto the serpent, We eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden, 3 But of the fruite of the tree which is in the middes of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eate of it, neither shall ye touche it, lest ye die. 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not die at all, 5 But God doeth knowe, that when ye shall eate thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and euill.
• 2 Sam 13:3 : 3 But Amnon had a friend called Ionadab, the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother: and Ionadab was a very subtile man.
• 2 Sam 15:31 : 31 Then one tolde Dauid, saying, Ahithophel is one of them that haue cospired with Absalom: and Dauid sayde, O Lorde, I pray thee, turne the counsell of Ahithophel into foolishnesse.
• 2 Sam 16:23 : 23 And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counseled in those dayes, was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with Dauid and with Absalom.
• Jer 4:22 : 22 For my people is foolish, they haue not knowen me: they are foolish children, and haue none vnderstanding: they are wise to doe euill, but to doe well they haue no knowledge.
• Luke 16:8 : 8 And the Lorde commended the vniust stewarde, because he had done wisely. Wherefore the children of this worlde are in their generation wiser then the children of light.
• John 3:17 : 17 For God sent not his Sonne into the world, that he should condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued.
• John 8:44 : 44 Ye are of your father the deuill, and the lustes of your father ye will doe: hee hath bene a murtherer from the beginning, and abode not in the trueth, because there is no trueth in him. When hee speaketh a lie, then speaketh hee of his owne: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
• Acts 13:10 : 10 And sayde, O full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe, the childe of the deuill, and enemie of all righteousnesse, wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord?
• Rom 1:22 : 22 When they professed themselues to be wise, they became fooles.
• 1 Cor 1:19-20 : 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisedome of the wise, and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this worlde? hath not God made the wisedome of this worlde foolishnesse?
• 1 Cor 1:27 : 27 But God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde, to confound the mightie things,
• 1 Cor 2:6-7 : 6 And we speake wisedome among them that are perfect: not the wisedome of this world, neither of the princes of this world, which come to nought. 7 But we speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie, euen the hid wisedom, which God had determined before the world, vnto our glory.
• 1 John 3:8-9 : 8 He that comitteth sinne, is of the deuil: for the deuill sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose was made manifest that Sonne of God, that he might loose the workes of the deuil. 9 Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seede remaineth in him, neither can hee sinne, because he is borne of God. 10 In this are the children of God knowen, and the children of the deuil: whosoeuer doeth not righteousnesse, is not of God, neither he that loueth not his brother.
• Rev 2:24 : 24 And vnto you I say, the rest of them of Thyatira, As many as haue not this learning, neither haue knowen the deepenes of Satan (as they speake) I will put vpon you none other burden.
• Rev 9:11 : 11 And they haue a King ouer them, which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit, whose name in Hebrewe is Abaddon, and in Greeke he is named Apollyon, that is, destroying.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 And the great dragon, that olde serpent, called the deuil and Satan, was cast out, which deceiueth all the world: he was euen cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.