James 1:5

Authorized King James Version (1611)

If 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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας, αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος Θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς, καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος· καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ.

Transliteration

If and anyone of you leipetai sophias, let him aiteitō from the didontos Theos to all haplōs, and not oneidizontos; and it will be dothēsetai to him.

Grammar Details

• *leipetai*: present, passive, indicative, 3rd person singular - is lacking
• *sophias*: genitive, feminine, singular - object of lacking
• *aiteitō*: present, active, imperative, 3rd person singular - command
• *didontos*: present, active, participle, genitive, masculine, singular - giving
• *Theos*: genitive, masculine, singular - source
• *haplōs*: adverb - generously/simply
• *oneidizontos*: present, active, participle, genitive, masculine, singular - reproaching
• *dothēsetai*: future, passive, indicative, 3rd person singular - will be given

Word Meanings

• *leipetai*: lacks/is deficient in/is in need of
• *sophias*: wisdom/insight/understanding
• *aiteitō*: let him ask/should request
• *didontos*: giving/granting/bestowing
• *haplōs*: generously/liberally/simply/without reservation
• *oneidizontos*: reproaching/rebuking/finding fault/upbraiding
• *dothēsetai*: will be given/will be granted

Referenced Verses

• Prov 2:3-6 : 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.
• John 15:7 : 7 ‹If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.›
• Prov 3:5-7 : 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
• 1 Kgs 3:7-9 : 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not [how] to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
• Jer 29:12-13 : 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
• Matt 7:7-9 : 7 ¶ ‹Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:› 8 ‹For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.› 9 ‹Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?› 10 ‹Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?› 11 ‹If 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?›
• Exod 31:3 : 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
• 2 Chr 1:10 : 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, [that is so] great?
• Job 28:12-28 : 12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. 14 ¶ The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me. 15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof. 16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 20 ¶ Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding? 21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. 23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven; 25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. 26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.
• 1 Chr 22:12 : 12 Only 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 John 5:14-15 : 14 ¶ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
• John 16:23-24 : 23 ¶ ‹And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give› [it] ‹you.› 24 ‹Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.›
• John 14:13 : 13 ‹And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.›
• Isa 55:6-7 : 6 ¶ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
• Jer 1:6-7 : 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
• Exod 31:6 : 6 And 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;
• Exod 36:1-4 : 1 ¶ Then 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. 2 And 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: 3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it [withal]. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. 4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
• Prov 9:4-6 : 4 Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine [which] I have mingled. 6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
• John 4:10 : 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, ‹If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.›
• 1 John 3:22 : 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
• Jas 1:17 : 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
• Jas 3:17 : 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
• Jas 5:16 : 16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
• Dan 2:18-22 : 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And 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: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
• Matt 11:20 : 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
• Luke 11:9-9 : 9 ‹And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.› 10 ‹For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.› 11 ‹If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if› [he ask] ‹a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?› 12 ‹Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?› 13 ‹If 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 15:20-22 : 20 ‹And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.› 21 ‹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.› 22 ‹But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put› [it] ‹on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on› [his] ‹feet:›
• Mark 16:14 : 14 ¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
• 2 Cor 2:16 : 16 To the one [we are] the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?