JAMES (Ιακωβος). Grecised form (nominative absolute) of the Hebrew Ιακωβ (so LXX). Common name among the Jews, and this man in Josephus (_Ant_. XX.9.1) and three others of this name in Josephus also.SERVANT (δουλος). Bond-servant or slave as Paul (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1).OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
COUNT IT (ηγησασθε). First aorist middle imperative of ηγεομα, old verb to consider. Do it now and once for all.ALL JOY (πασαν χαραν). "Whole joy," " unmixed joy," as in Philippians 2:29. Not just "some joy" along with much grief.WHEN (οταν). "Whenever," indefinite temporal conjunction.YE FAL... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWING (γινωσκοντες). Present active participle of γινωσκω (experimental knowledge, the only way of getting this view of "trials" as "all joy").THE PROOF (το δοκιμιον). Now known (Deissmann, _Bible Studies_, pp. 259ff.) from the papyri examples of δοκιμιος as an adjective in the same sense (goo... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HAVE (εχετω). Present active imperative of εχω, let it keep on having.PERFECT (τελειον). See Romans 5:3 for a like chain of blessings. Carry on the work to the end or completion (from τελος, end) as in John 17:4 (το εργον τελειωσας, having finished the work).THAT YE MAY BE (ινα ητε). Purp... [ Continue Reading ]
LACKETH WISDOM (λειπετα σοφιας). Condition of first class, assumed as true, ε and present passive indicative of λειπω to be destitute of, with ablative case σοφιας. "If any one falls short of wisdom." A banking figure, to have a shortage of wisdom (not just knowledge, γνωσεως, but wisdom σοφιας,... [ Continue Reading ]
IN FAITH (εν πιστε). Faith here "is the fundamental religious attitude" (Ropes), belief in God's beneficent activity and personal reliance on him (Oesterley).NOTHING DOUBTING (μηδεν διακρινομενος). Negative way of saying εν πιστε (in faith), present passive participle of διακρινω, old verb to se... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT MAN (ο ανθρωπος εκεινος). Emphatic use of εκεινος.OF THE LORD (παρα του κυριου). Ablative case with παρα like θεου in verse James 1:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAN (ανηρ). Instead of ανθρωπος (general term) in verse James 1:7, perhaps for variety (Ropes), but often in James (James 1:12; James 1:23; James 2:2; James 3:2), though in other Epistles usually in distinction from γυνη (woman).DOUBLE-MINDED (διψυχος). First appearance of this compound known an... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT (δε). Return to the point of view in verse James 1:2.OF LOW DEGREE (ο ταπεινος). "The lowly" brother, in outward condition (Luke 1:52), humble and poor as in Psalms 9:39; Proverbs 30:14, not the spiritually humble as in Matthew 11:29; James 4:6. In the LXX ταπεινος was used for either the po... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT HE IS MADE LOW (εν τη ταπεινωσε αυτου). "In his low estate." Play on ταπεινωσις (from ταπεινοω, Philippians 3:7), like ταπεινος of verse James 1:9, old word in various senses, in N.T. only here, Luke 1:48; Acts 8:33; Philippians 3:21. The Cross of Christ lifts up the poor and brings down... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISETH (ανετειλεν). Gnomic or timeless aorist active indicative of the old compound ανατελλω, used here of plants (cf. αναθαλλω in Philippians 4:10), often of the sun (Matthew 13:6).WITH THE SCORCHING WIND (συν τω καυσων). Associative instrumental case with συν. In the LXX this late word (from... [ Continue Reading ]
ENDURETH (υπομενε). Present active indicative of υπομενω. Cf. verse James 1:3.TEMPTATION (πειρασμον). Real temptation here. See verse James 1:2 for "trials."WHEN HE HATH BEEN APPROVED (δοκιμος γενομενος). "Having become approved," with direct reference to το δοκιμιον in verse James 1:3. See a... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NO ONE SAY (μηδεις λεγετω). Present active imperative, prohibiting such a habit.WHEN HE IS TEMPTED (πειραζομενος). Present passive participle of πειραζω, here in evil sense of tempt, not test, as in Matthew 4:1. Verses James 1:12-18 give a vivid picture of temptation.I AM TEMPTED OF GOD ... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE IS DRAWN AWAY BY HIS OWN LUST (υπο της ιδιας επιθυμιας εξελκομενος). Επιθυμια is old word for craving (from επιθυμεω, to have a desire for) either good (Philippians 1:23) or evil (Romans 7:7) as here. Like a fish drawn out from his retreat.ENTICED (δελεαζομενος). Present passive partici... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN (ειτα). The next step.THE LUST (η επιθυμια). Note article, the lust (verse James 1:14) which one has.WHEN IT HATH CONCEIVED (συλλαβουσα). Second aorist active participle of συλλαμβανω, old word to grasp together, in hostile sense (Acts 26:21), in friendly sense of help (Philippians 4:3),... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT DECEIVED (μη πλανασθε). Prohibition with μη and the present passive imperative of πλαναω, common verb to lead astray. This is the way of sin to deceive and to kill (Romans 7:7-14). The devil is a pastmaster at blinding men's eyes about sin (2 Corinthians 4:4; Romans 1:27; Ephesians 4:14; e... [ Continue Reading ]
GIFT (δοσις)--BOON (δωρημα). Both old substantives from the same original verb (διδωμ), to give. Δοσις is the act of giving (ending -σις), but sometimes by metonymy for the thing given like κτισις for κτισμα (Colossians 1:15). But δωρημα (from δωρεω, from δωρον a gift) only means a gift, a bene... [ Continue Reading ]
OF HIS OWN WILL (βουληθεις). First aorist passive participle of βουλομα. Repeating the metaphor of birth in verse James 1:15, but in good sense. God as Father acted deliberately of set purpose.HE BROUGHT US FORTH (απεκυησεν). First aorist active indicative of αποκυεω (verse James 1:15), only he... [ Continue Reading ]
YE KNOW THIS (ιστε). Or "know this." Probably the perfect active indicative (literary form as in Ephesians 5:5; Hebrews 12:17, unless both are imperative, while in James 4:4 we have οιδατε, the usual vernacular _Koine_ perfect indicative). The imperative uses only ιστε and only the context can de... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WRATH OF MAN (οργη ανδρος). Here ανηρ (as opposed to γυνη woman), not ανθρωπος of verse James 1:19 (inclusive of both man and woman). If taken in this sense, it means that a man's anger (settled indignation in contrast with θυμος, boiling rage or fury) does not necessarily work God's righteou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE (διο). Because of this principle. See Ephesians 4:25.PUTTING AWAY (αποθεμενο). Second aorist middle participle of αποτιθημ, to put off, metaphor of removing clothing as in Romans 13:12; Colossians 3:8; Ephesians 4:22; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Peter 2:1.FILTHINESS (ρυπαριαν). Late word (Plut... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BE YE (γινεσθε δε). Rather, "But keep on becoming" (present middle imperative of γινομα).DOERS OF THE WORD (ποιητα λογου). Old word for agent (-της) from ποιεω to do as in James 4:11; Romans 2:13, but in Acts 17:28 our "poet" (long regarded as a "doer" or "maker").HEARERS (ακροατα). Old w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOT A DOER (κα ου ποιητης). Condition of first class, assumed as true, and ου (rather than μη) contrasts ποιητης with ακροατης.UNTO A MAN BEHOLDING (ανδρ κατανοουντ). Associative instrumental case after εοικεν as in James 1:6. Note ανδρ as in James 1:8 in contrast with γυναικ (woman), not α... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BEHOLDETH HIMSELF (κατενοησεν εαυτον). Usually explained as gnomic aorist like those in James 1:11, but the ordinary force of the tenses is best here. "He glanced at himself (κατενοησεν aorist) and off he has gone (απεληλυθεν perfect active) and straightway forgot (επελαθετο, second aorist mid... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT LOOKETH INTO (ο παρακυψας). First aorist active articular participle of παρακυπτω, old verb, to stoop and look into (John 20:5; John 20:11), to gaze carefully by the side of, to peer into or to peep into (1 Peter 1:12). Here the notion of beside (παρα) or of stooping (κυπτω) is not strong... [ Continue Reading ]
THINKETH HIMSELF TO BE RELIGIOUS (δοκε θρησκος εινα). Condition of first class (ει-δοκε). Θρησκος (of uncertain etymology, perhaps from θρεομα, to mutter forms of prayer) is predicate nominative after εινα, agreeing with the subject of δοκε (either "he seems" or "he thinks"). This source of self-... [ Continue Reading ]
PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED (θρησκεια καθαρα κα αμιαντος). Numerous examples in papyri and inscriptions of θρησκεια for ritual and reverential worship in the Roman Empire (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_; Deissmann, _St. Paul_, p. 251). As Hort shows, this is not a definition of religion or r... [ Continue Reading ]