NT Text: James 2:11
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s): Analogy
Anchor Text: Exod 20 — The Decalogue
Significance: James directly quotes the sixth and seventh commandments from the Decalogue: "Do not commit adultery" (mē moicheusēs) and "Do not murder" (mē phoneusēs), citing them as words spoken by the same Lawgiver (ho eipōn). The purpose is not to exposit these specific commandments but to establish the unity of the law: violation of any one commandment makes one a transgressor of the whole law (2:10). James's argument depends on the indivisibility of the Torah as expressing the will of one divine Lawgiver. By selecting two representative commands, James demonstrates that the law cannot be atomized — keeping one command while breaking another does not constitute obedience. This analogical use of the Decalogue grounds James's ethical teaching about partiality (2:1-9) in the Sinai covenant's holistic demand.