James 3:15

Authorized King James Version (1611)

This wisdom descendeth not 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, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
• Jude 1:19 : 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
• 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.
• 1 Tim 4:1 : 1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
• Jas 1:5 : 5 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.
• 1 Cor 3:19 : 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
• 2 Cor 1:12 : 12 ¶ For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
• 1 Cor 2:14 : 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
• 2 Thess 2:9 : 9 [Even him], whose coming is after 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 envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
• 2 Cor 11:3 : 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
• Gen 3:1-5 : 1 ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 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 gods, 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 subtil man.
• 2 Sam 15:31 : 31 ¶ And [one] told David, saying, Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
• 2 Sam 16:23 : 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, [was] as if a man had enquired 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 [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
• Luke 16:8 : 8 ‹And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.›
• John 3:17 : 17 ‹For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.›
• John 8:44 : 44 ‹Ye are of› [your] ‹father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode 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 of it.›
• Acts 13:10 : 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child 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 will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
• 1 Cor 1:27 : 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
• 1 Cor 2:6-7 : 6 ¶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
• 1 John 3:8-9 : 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born 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 unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.›
• Rev 9:11 : 11 And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.