Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The crucial point here is that the word translated "tempted" can mean tested or lured to sin. When James says God "cannot be tempted with evil," he's emphasizing that God isn't susceptible to sin; therefore, He can't be the source of sin's allurements for us.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
James begins by distinguishing between trials sent by God to strengthen faith and temptations that lead to sin. When we face these temptations, it's easy to shift blame, suggesting God is the source, but James firmly rejects this idea. He clarifies that God, being perfectly good, cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He ever tempt anyone to do wrong.
When you're facing a tough struggle, where does the blame usually fall? James addresses a common human tendency to point the finger at God when things get tough.
James lays down a clear boundary in verse 13: God is not the author of evil. When we face temptation, it's tempting to say, 'God must have put this here to test me,' or 'God is allowing this in a way that leads me to sin.' But James argues against this.
God's Inability to Be Tempted
The verse says, 'God cannot be tempted with evil.' This doesn't mean God is weak or lacks power. Instead, it points to His perfect, holy nature. He is fundamentally incapable of being drawn into or participating in evil. It's outside of His very being. Think of it like trying to get pure water to become muddy – it’s against its nature.
God Doesn't Tempt Us to Sin
Then James adds, 'he himself tempts no one.' This is crucial. While God does allow trials (as we saw in the previous verses) to build our character, He never initiates or solicits us toward sin. The allurements and desires that lead us into wrongdoing don't originate from Him. He stands apart from the origin of evil desires.
The word 'tempted' can mean different things. James uses it in at least two ways in these opening verses. Understanding the difference is key to not blaming God.
James is carefully navigating the concept of 'temptation.' In verses 2-12, he talks about enduring 'trials' (often translated from the same Greek word as 'temptation') and counts them as joy because they refine our faith.
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Trials as Refining Fire
These 'trials' are like the process of refining precious metals. They are allowed by God to test and strengthen our character, revealing our reliance on Him. They are external circumstances or internal pressures that help us grow.
Temptation as Enticement to Sin
But in verse 13, James shifts focus to 'temptation' in the sense of 'solicitation to sin.' This is when an enticement, often fueled by our own desires, pulls us toward doing something wrong. It's the allure to stray from God's path.
The Crucial Distinction
James’s point is vital: God sends or allows the trials that can build us up, but He does not send the enticements that lead us to sin. Blaming God for the latter is a misunderstanding of His character and His purposes for allowing difficulties in our lives.
Understand the original words
peirazō · Greek Verb
In a biblical context, it refers to the solicitation to evil, either through external pressure (trial) or internal inclination (desire). God is never the source of evil solicitation.
epithymia · Greek Noun
An intense, often sinful craving or longing for that which is forbidden or contrary to the will of God. It is the root of internal temptation and the catalyst for sinful actions.
This passage shows the first human attempt to deflect blame for sin onto God, mirroring the exact kind of excuse James is warning against.
Job 1:21-22Job's response, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,' demonstrates a trust in God's sovereignty even amidst severe trials, refusing to curse God, which is the opposite of blaming Him for temptation.
Matthew 4:1-11This account of Jesus being tempted by the devil highlights that temptation often comes from external, adversarial sources, not from God who is the object of Jesus' worship and obedience.
1 Corinthians 10:13This verse directly complements James' statement by assuring believers that God provides a way out of temptation, confirming that His involvement in trials is for strengthening, not for causing sin.
Hebrews 4:15This passage emphasizes Jesus' perfect understanding and experience of human weakness and temptation without sin, underscoring God's own inability to be tempted by evil because of His perfect nature.
vincentJames 1:13: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:"
Of God (ἀπὸ Θεοῦ)Lit., from God. Not by God, as the direct agent, but by agency proceeding from God. Compare Matthew 4:1, where the direct agency, "by the spirit," "by the devil," is expressed by ὑπό.Cannot be tempted (ἀπείραστος ἐστι)Lit., is incapable of being tempted. But some of the best expositors render is unversed in, evil things, as better accor…
clarkeJames 1:13: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:"
Let no man say - Lest the former sentiment should be misapplied, as the word temptation has two grand meanings, solicitation to sin, and trial from providential situation or circumstances, James, taking up the word in the former sense, after having used it in the latter, says: Let no man say, when he is tempted, (solicited to sin), I am tempted of God; for God…
The crucial point here is that the word translated "tempted" can mean tested or lured to sin. When James says God "cannot be tempted with evil," he's emphasizing that God isn't susceptible to sin; therefore, He can't be the source of sin's allurements for us.
James begins by distinguishing between trials sent by God to strengthen faith and temptations that lead to sin. When we face these temptations, it's easy to shift blame, suggesting God is the source, but James firmly rejects this idea. He clarifies that God, being perfectly good, cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He ever tempt anyone to do wrong.
James begins by distinguishing between trials sent by God to strengthen faith and temptations that lead to sin. When we face these temptations, it's easy to shift blame, suggesting God is the source, but James firmly rejects this idea. He clarifies that God, being perfectly good, cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He ever tempt anyone to do wrong.
"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." — The crucial point here is that the word translated "tempted" can mean tested or lured to sin. When James says God "cannot be tempted with evil," he's emphasizing that God isn't susceptible to sin…
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Last reviewed October 2026