James 1:14
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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James 1:14
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
James uses powerful hunting and fishing metaphors, showing temptation not as an external force, but as a dangerous process where our own desires draw us out from safety and entice us with a bait, making us complicit in our own capture. This isn't about God or the devil forcing us; it's about our own inner longings actively luring us into the snare.
James is clarifying that temptation doesn't come from God, but from within us. He explains that we are lured and enticed by our own internal desires, like a fish being drawn by bait or a hunter snaring prey. This internal desire then acts as the real source, pulling us away from what is right and leading us into sin.
Temptation feels like an outside force, but James says it starts from within. What is this 'lust' that draws us in?
James uses vivid imagery to describe how temptation works. He compares it to hunting and fishing.
These aren't just abstract ideas; they are active processes. The 'lust' isn't just a passive feeling; it's an active force within us, a deep desire that, when activated, draws us out of our spiritual safety and entices us with a deceptive promise of satisfaction.
Why does temptation have power over you specifically? James points to something deeply personal.
The key phrase here is 'his own desire.' This emphasizes that temptation isn't simply an external attack, but a response to something already within us.
Understand the original words
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 illustrates the same principle, showing how Eve was tempted not by an external force alone, but by her own desire for what looked good and wise.
Proverbs 7:7The imagery here of a foolish young man being drawn away and enticed by a seductress beautifully parallels James's metaphor of lust drawing someone away and baiting them into sin.
Romans 7:11Paul describes how sin uses commands to deceive and kill, highlighting the deceptive power of sin within us that James speaks of as our own lust.
Galatians 5:16This verse directly contrasts the desires of the flesh with the Spirit, showing that 'lust' (desire) is an inner force that, if followed, leads away from God's will.
1 Corinthians 10:13While James focuses on the internal source of temptation, Paul here assures us that God provides a way out of temptation, showing the balance between our responsibility and God's provision.
vincentJames 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
Drawn away (ἐξελκόμενος)Only here in New Testament. This and the following word are metaphors from hunting and fishing. Drawn away, as beasts are enticed from a safecovert into a place beset with snares. Note the present participle, as indicating the progress of the temptation: "is being drawn away."Enticed (δελεαζόμενος)As a fish with bait. Also the present participle. See on 2 Peter 2:14.
clarkeJames 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."
But every man is tempted - Successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust - when, giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that to which he is solicited by the enemy of his soul. Among the rabbins we find some fine sayings on this subject. In Midrash hanaalam, fol. 20, and Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, it is said: "This is the custom of evil concupiscence, יצר הרע yets…
James uses powerful hunting and fishing metaphors, showing temptation not as an external force, but as a dangerous process where our own desires draw us out from safety and entice us with a bait, making us complicit in our own capture. This isn't about God or the devil forcing us; it's about our own inner longings actively luring us into the snare.
James is clarifying that temptation doesn't come from God, but from within us. He explains that we are lured and enticed by our own internal desires, like a fish being drawn by bait or a hunter snaring prey. This internal desire then acts as the real source, pulling us away from what is right and leading us into sin.
James is clarifying that temptation doesn't come from God, but from within us. He explains that we are lured and enticed by our own internal desires, like a fish being drawn by bait or a hunter snaring prey. This internal desire then acts as the real source, pulling us away from what is right and leading us into sin.
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"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." — James uses powerful hunting and fishing metaphors, showing temptation not as an external force, but as a dangerous process where our own desires draw us out from safety and entice us with a bait,…