Yaakov 1:17

17 Every good endowment and every matanah shleimah (complete gift) is from above, coming down from Avi HaOhrot (the Father of Lights) with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. [TEHILLIM 85:12; BERESHIS 1:16; TEHILLIM 136:7; DANIEL 2:22; BAMIDBAR 23:19; TEHILLIM 102:27; MALACHI 3:6]

Yaakov 1:17 Meaning and Commentary

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift
Whether of nature, providence, or grace, and especially the latter; spiritual gifts given along with Christ, or spiritual blessings in him; every such gift is; as the Vulgate Latin version reads, the "best" gift; better than those which only relate to the present life: and is "perfect" such as the gifts of righteousness, remission of sins, adoption, regeneration, and eternal life. The Jews say ^F11, that the good things of this world are not truly good, in comparison of the good things of the world to come, and are not (bwj rwmg) , "a perfect good." And every such an one is from above; is not from a man's self, from the creature, or from below, but from heaven, and from God who dwells there:

and cometh down from the Father of lights;
or author of lights; of all corporeal light; as the sun, moon, and stars; of all natural, rational, and moral light, in angels and men; of all spiritual light, or the light of grace in regenerate persons; and of eternal light, the light of glory in the spirits of just then made perfect:

with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning:
as there is in that great luminary, the sun in the firmament, which has its parallaxes, eclipses, and turnings, and casts its shadow; it rises and sets, appears and disappears every day; and it comes out of one tropic, and enters into another at certain seasons of the year: but with God, who is light itself, and in him is no darkness at all, there is no change, nor anything like it; he is changeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts; wherefore he being holy, cannot turn to that which is evil; nor can he, who is the fountain of light, be the cause of darkness, or admit of any in him; and since every good and perfect gift comes from him, evil cannot proceed from him, nor can he tempt any to it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 23. 2, 3.

Yaakov 1:17 In-Context

15 Then after her conception Ta’avah gives birth to Averah (Transgression) and Averah, once she has fully developed, gives birth to Mavet. [BERESHIS 3:6; IYOV 15:35; TEHILLIM 7:14; YESHAYAH 59:4]

16 Do not fall under a delusion, my beloved Achim b’Moshiach.

17 Every good endowment and every matanah shleimah (complete gift) is from above, coming down from Avi HaOhrot (the Father of Lights) with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. [TEHILLIM 85:12; BERESHIS 1:16; TEHILLIM 136:7; DANIEL 2:22; BAMIDBAR 23:19; TEHILLIM 102:27; MALACHI 3:6]

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]

19 Have da’as of this, my beloved Achim b’Moshiach. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to ka’as (anger). [MISHLE 10:19]