James 1:6

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Translations sourced from the public-domain WEB, KJV, and ASV. See all sources.

“But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.”

— WEB

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

— KJV

“But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.”

— ASV

Bible Verses About Doubt

Cross-references

Related verses via the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Matthew 21:21-22 "Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, …"
Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder…"
Mark 11:22-24 "Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God."
Ephesians 4:14 "that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in crafti…"
Hebrews 10:23 "let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 13:9 "Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which…"
1 Timothy 2:8 "I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting."
Jude 1:12-13 "These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without wat…"

Commentary

ask in faith--that is, the persuasion that God can and will give. James begins and ends with faith. In the middle of the Epistle he removes the hindrances to faith and shows its true character [BENGEL]. wavering--between belief and unbelief. Compare the case of the Israelites, who seemed to partly believe in God's power, but leaned more to unbelief by "limiting" it. On the other hand, compare Act 10:20; Rom 4:20 ("staggered not . . . through unbelief," literally, as here, "wavered not"); Ti1 2:8. like a wave of the sea-- Isa 57:20; Eph 4:14, where the same Greek word occurs for "tossed to and fro," as is here translated, "driven with the wind." driven with the wind--from without. tossed--from within, by its own instability [BENGEL]. At one time cast on the shore of faith and hope, at another rolled back into the abyss of unbelief; at one time raised to the height of worldly pride, at another tossed in the sands of despair and affliction [WIESINGER].

— Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (public domain)

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