Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
World English Bible
James 1:13
This verse is examined in more than one Scripture Analysis section. Each lens is shown on its own terms, in the section's own words; GEBible reaches no verdict of its own.
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WEB World English Bible Public Domain ✓ - Modern English
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- LSV Literal Standard Version A modern, highly literal translation (2020) · CC BY-SA 4.0
- ULB Unlocked Literal Bible An open-licensed literal translation produced for translators · CC BY-SA 4.0
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- MSB Majority Standard Bible A modern translation of the Majority/Byzantine text — the Berean counterpart to the critical-text BSB · Public Domain
- TCENT Text-Critical English New Testament A modern reasoned-eclectic New Testament (2022) · CC BY 4.0
- F35 Family 35 New Testament Wilbur Pickering's Byzantine-priority New Testament, with text-critical commentary notes · CC BY-SA 4.0
- OJB Orthodox Jewish Bible A Messianic-Jewish English Bible using transliterated Hebrew names and terms · CC BY 4.0
- Historic editions
- KJV King James Version Public Domain
- ASV American Standard Version (1901) Public Domain
- GNV Geneva Bible (1599) The Reformation-era study Bible that preceded the King James · Public Domain
- DRA Douay-Rheims (1899) An English Catholic translation from the Latin Vulgate · Public Domain
- YLT Young's Literal Translation An extremely literal 19th-century rendering · Public Domain
- DBY Darby Bible A literal 19th-century translation by J. N. Darby · Public Domain
- WBT Webster's Bible Noah Webster's 1833 modernization of the King James Version · Public Domain
- TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534) The pioneering early-modern English New Testament (New Testament only) · Public Domain
- JPS JPS Tanakh (1917) An early Jewish English translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament only) · Public Domain
- RV Revised Version (1885) The 1885 British revision of the King James Version; parent of the American Standard Version · Public Domain
- LEESER Isaac Leeser Tanakh (1853) The first Jewish English translation of the Hebrew Bible (1853, Old Testament only) · Public Domain
- KJVCP KJV Cambridge Paragraph Bible David Norton's critical Cambridge edition of the King James Version, set in paragraphs · Public Domain
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (4)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
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Has God ever tempted anyone?
James 1:13 draws a hard line: "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." Genesis 22:1 opens the Akedah by saying "God did tempt Abraham" and tells him to sacrifice Isaac.
Critical scholarship: Leans toward reconciliation.
Theology
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Can God be tempted?
James 1:13 declares God "cannot be tempted with evil" — a flat denial of divine temptability. Deuteronomy 6:16 (and Jesus citing it at Matt 4:7 / Luke 4:12) commands "Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God" — a command that presupposes God CAN be tempted, otherwise why forbid it?
Critical scholarship: Usually considered reconciled.
Theology
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Can God be tempted?
James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted with evil (*apeirastos kakōn*). But Deuteronomy 6:16, Exodus 17:2, Matthew 4:7, Luke 4:12, and Acts 15:10 all assume God can be tempted — the command 'do not tempt God' presupposes the act is possible.
Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.
Theology
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Is Jesus God?
John 1:1, 1:14 identifies the Word (Logos) as God and says the Word became flesh — the classic textual foundation for the deity of Christ. James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted with evil.
Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.
Theology
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
Each section sets the viewpoints side by side; you weigh the evidence. Here, "critical scholarship" means academic study, not a value judgment. How this is built →
Other verses examined for the same kind of question or claim
Within each section, grouped by shared field or question type — not a cross-section comparison.
Cite this page
This citation refers to this GEBible page — the verse and the analysis gathered here. To cite the underlying scholarship, cite those sources directly.
"James 1:13 — Scripture Analysis" GEBible, https://gebible.app/analysis/verse/james/1/13?version=WEB (retrieved 27 August 2026).