James 1:18
King James Version
18 Of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth,
that we should be
a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Do you know how much GOD loves us?
The word "firstfruits" will tell us.
But what does it mean?
I've always wondered myself.
Time to address the issue here.
Here's what other Bible versions say:
James 1:18
Amplified Bible
18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].
James 1:18
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
18 And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].
James 1:18
Common English Bible
18 He chose to give us birth by his true word, and here is the result: we are like the first crop from the harvest of everything he created.
James 1:18
Contemporary English Version
18 He wanted us to be his own special people,[a] and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.
James 1:18
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
18 For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.
James 1:18
Easy-to-Read Version
18 God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.
James 1:18
Expanded Bible
18 God ·decided [chose; willed] to give us ·life [birth] through the ·word of truth [true message] so we might be ·the most important [or the first of many; L a kind of firstfruits; C firstfruits were the first crops to be harvested and guaranteed the coming harvest; Ex. 34:22; 2 Thess. 2:13; Rev. 14:4] of all ·the things he made [or his creatures].
James 1:18
GOD’S WORD Translation
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.
James 1:18
Good News Translation
18 By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.
James 1:18
International Children’s Bible
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth. He wanted us to be the most important of all the things he made.
James 1:18
International Standard Version
18 In accordance with his will he made us his children by the word of truth, so that we might become the most important of his creatures.
James 1:18
J.B. Phillips New Testament
18 By his own wish he made us his own sons through the Word of truth that we might be, so to speak, the first specimens of his new creation.
James 1:18
Living Bible
18 And it was a happy day for him when[a] he gave us our new lives through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family.
James 1:18
The Message
He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
James 1:18
Names of God Bible
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.
James 1:18
New Century Version
18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.
James 1:18
New International Reader's Version
18 God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first harvest of his new creation.
James 1:18
New Life Version
18 He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word only because He wanted to. We are the first children in His family.
James 1:18
New Living Translation
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
Yaakov 1:18
Orthodox Jewish Bible
18 Birtzon Hashem (by the will of G-d), he gave birth to us by the Dvar HaEmes, that we might be a kind of bikkurim (firstfruits) of all he created. [YIRMEYAH 2:3]
James 1:18
The Voice
18 We have a special role in His plan. He calls us to life by His message of truth so that we will show the rest of His creatures His goodness and love.
James 1:18
Worldwide English (New Testament)
18 He made us his children because he wanted us. He made us his children by giving us his true word. He made us his children so that we would be the first and best of all he made.
James 1:18
Wycliffe Bible
18 For willfully he begat us by the word of truth [Forsooth willfully he gendered us with the word of truth], that we be a beginning of his creature.
In SUMMARY, "firstfruits" mean:
[a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes]
[a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself]
the first crop from the harvest of everything he created
to be his own special people
that we might be some beginning of his creatures
to be the most important of all that he created.
so we might be ·the most important of all ·the things he made [or his creatures] ...firstfruits were the first crops to be harvested and guaranteed the coming harvest
to make us his most important creatures
that we should have first place among all his creatures
to be the most important of all the things he made.
that we might become the most important of his creatures
that we might be, so to speak, the first specimens of his new creation
and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family
showing us off as the crown of all his creatures
to make us his most important creatures
so we might be the most important of all the things he made
to be the first harvest of his new creation
We are the first children in His family.
we, out of all creation, became his prized possession
that we might be a kind of bikkurim (firstfruits) of all he created. [YIRMEYAH 2:3]
We have a special role in His plan...that we will show the rest of His creatures His goodness and love
He made us his children because he wanted us...that we would be the first and best of all he made
that we be a beginning of his creature
Apart from our being "firstfruits", GOD's love is known best through these verses:
John 3:16-17
King James Version
16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
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