Bible Commentary

James 1:17

James 1:17

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

Every good gift and every perfect gift,.... Whether of nature, providence, or grace, and especially the latter; spiritual gifts given along with Christ, or spiritual blessings in him; every such gift is; as the Vulgate Latin version reads, the "best" gift; better than those which only relate to the present life: and is "perfect" such as the gifts of righteousness, remission of sins, adoption, regeneration, and eternal life.

The Jews say , that the good things of this world are not truly good, in comparison of the good things of the world to come, and are not bwj rwmg, "a perfect good." And every such an one is from above; is not from a man's self, from the creature, or from below, but from heaven, and from God who dwells there:and cometh down from the Father of lights; or author of lights; of all corporeal light; as the sun, moon, and stars; of all natural, rational, and moral light, in angels and men; of all spiritual light, or the light of grace in regenerate persons; and of eternal light, the light of glory in the spirits of just then made perfect:with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning: as there is in that great luminary, the sun in the firmament, which has its parallaxes, eclipses, and turnings, and casts its shadow; it rises and sets, appears and disappears every day; and it comes out of one tropic, and enters into another at certain seasons of the year: but with God, who is light itself, and in him is no darkness at all, there is no change, nor anything like it; he is changeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts; wherefore he being holy, cannot turn to that which is evil; nor can he, who is the fountain of light, be the cause of darkness, or admit of any in him; and since every good and perfect gift comes from him, evil cannot proceed from him, nor can he tempt any to it.

Tzeror Hammor, fol. 23.

The Daily Devotional

One devotional. Every morning.

The full reading, the passage behind it, and where to go deeper — in your inbox before the day starts. No ads, ever.

We'll send one email to confirm it's really you. Unsubscribe in one tap, any time.

Continue tomorrow

Turn Bible study into a daily habit

Read today's devotional, save your progress, and receive a gentle daily reminder.

Recommended reading

More for James 1:17

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

commentaryRecommended resourceExplore this resource connected to the verse you are reading.commentaryRecommended resourceExplore this resource connected to the verse you are reading.devotionThe Fire and the GoldBuild with gold today. Action: Do something "inefficient" but eternal. Spend 20 minutes listening to a child or an elderly person. Write an encouraging letter to someone who can do nothing for you. Give money anonymously. These things look small to the world, but they are fireproof.Discipledeck devotionThe God Who Hears the Cry of the VulnerableGod hears the cry of the vulnerable before any earthly court does. Are you listening?Discipledeckdevotion What Envy Does When No One Stops ItSin was crouching at the door. God warned him. He still opened it. Don't wait until it's a wildfire. Address it while it's still a sparkDiscipleDeckdevotion The Servant's TableJesus said doing God's will was His food. The surrendered will is not a burden — it's a meal. If you've been spiritually malnourished, it's possible you've been eating everything except the obedience God keeps serving you.DiscipledeckdevotionThe Voice You ObeyTemptation always starts with a question: "Did God really say?" My answer is yes. I'm navigating by His word today.DiscipledeckdevotionThe Spark and the ForestFire can cook a meal, or it can burn down a house. Your words have the same power; life or death. Today, try a "No Complaining" challenge. Go 24 hours without saying anything negative about the weather, your work, or your family. If you fail, start the clock over. Watch how it changes your heart.Discipledeck