Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageEvery good and perfect gift comes down from above, descending from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GEvery good act of giving, and every perfect gift, comes down from above — from the Father of lights — with whom there is no variation, nor any shadow cast by shifting.
KJV
King James VersionEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleEvery good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Footnotes
This verse contains some of the most technically precise astronomical language in the New Testament. παραλλαγή = stellar parallax — the apparent positional shift of celestial bodies. τροπή = a solstice or celestial turning-point. ἀποσκίασμα = the shadow cast by a shifting, turning body. Unlike the sun, moon, and stars — which all shift, turn, and cast moving shadows — the Father of lights is absolutely unchanging. F.O.G: "shadow cast by shifting" to honour the dynamic, physical image; F.O.G Message: "shadow of turning," the more resonant and liturgically memorable phrase. The two Greek words δόσις (the act of giving) and δώρημα (the gift itself) are also distinct; F.O.G preserves both; F.O.G Message treats them as a hendiadys.
