MY BRETHREN (αδελφο μου). Transition to a new topic as in James 1:19; James 2:5; James 2:14; James 3:1; James 5:7.HOLD NOT (μη εχετε). Present active imperative of εχω with negative μη, exhortation to stop holding or not to have the habit of holding in the fashion condemned.THE FAITH OF OUR LOR... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR (γαρ). An illustration of the prohibition.IF THERE COME IN (εαν εισελθη). Condition of third class (supposable case) with εαν and second (ingressive) aorist active subjunctive of εισερχομα.INTO YOUR SYNAGOGUE (εις συναγωγην υμων). The common word for the gathering of Jews for worship (Luke... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE HAVE REGARD TO (επιβλεψητε δε επ). First aorist active subjunctive (still with εαν of verse James 2:2) of επιβλεπω, followed by repeated preposition επ, to gaze upon, old compound, in N.T. only here and Luke 1:48; Luke 9:38.WEARETH (φορουντα). "Wearing," present active participle of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE NOT DIVIDED IN YOUR OWN MIND? (ου διεκριθητε εν εαυτοισ;). First aorist (gnomic) passive indicative of διακρινω, to separate, conclusion of the third-class condition (future) in a rhetorical question in the gnomic aorist (as if past) with ou expecting an affirmative answer. For this idiom... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT GOD CHOOSE? (ουχ ο θεος εξελεξατο;). Affirmative answer expected. First aorist middle (indirect, God chose for himself) indicative of εκλεγω, the very form used by Paul three times of God's choice in 1 Corinthians 1:27.AS TO THE WORLD (τω κοσμω). The ethical dative of interest, as the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE DISHONOURED THE POOR MAN (υμεις δε ητιμασατε τον πτωχον). First aorist active indicative of ατιμαζω, old verb from ατιμος, dishonoured (Matthew 13:57). In the act of partiality pictured in James 2:3.OPPRESS YOU (καταδυναστευουσιν υμων). Not very common compound (καταδυναστευω, prese... [ Continue Reading ]
BLASPHEME (βλασφημουσιν). Present active indicative of common verb βλασφημεω (from βλασφημος, speaking evil, βλαξ or βλαπτω and φημη), as in Luke 22:65.THE HONOURABLE NAME (το καλον ονομα). "The beautiful name."BY THE WHICH YE WERE CALLED (το επικληθεν εφ' υμας). "The one called upon you" (fir... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT (μεντο). Probably not adversative here, but simply confirmatory, "if now," "if indeed," "if really." Common in Xenophon in this sense. See the contrast (δε) in verse James 2:9.IF YE FULFIL (ε τελειτε). Condition of first class, assumed as true with ε and present active indicative of τελ... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT OF PERSONS (ε δε προσωπολημπτειτε). Condition of first class by contrast with that in verse James 2:8. For this verb (present active indicative), formed from προσωπον λαμβανω, here alone in the N.T., see in James 2:1. A direct reference to the partiality there pictured.YE C... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP (οστις τηρηση). Indefinite relative clause with οστις and aorist active subjunctive of τηρεω, old verb, to guard (from τηρος guarding), as in Matthew 27:36, without αν (though often used, but only one example of modal εαν=αν in James, viz., James 4:4). This modal αν (εαν) mer... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SAID (ο ειπων)--SAID ALSO (ειπεν κα). The unity of the law lies in the Lawgiver who spoke both prohibitions (μη and the aorist active subjunctive in each one, μοιχευσηισ, φονευσηις). The order here is that of B in James 2:20 (Luke 18:20; Romans 13:9), but not in Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO (ουτως λαλειτε κα ουτως ποιειτε). Present active imperatives as a habit. For the combination see James 1:19-21 contrasted with James 1:22-25, and James 1:26 with James 1:27.BY A LAW OF LIBERTY (δια νομου ελευθεριας). The law pictured in James 1:25, but law, after all, not... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT MERCY (ανελεος). Found here only save a doubtful papyrus example (ανελεως) for the vernacular ανιλεως and the Attic ανηλεης. For this principle of requital see Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:14; Matthew 7:1; Matthew 18:33.GLORIETH AGAINST (κατακαυχατα). Present middle indicative of the old compo... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT? (τ οφελοσ;). Rhetorical question, almost of impatience. Old word from οφελλω, to increase, in N.T. only here, verse James 2:16; 1 Corinthians 15:32. " Τ οφελος was a common expression in the vivacious style of a moral diatribe" (Ropes).IF A MAN SAY (εαν λεγη τις). Condition... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED (εαν αδελφος η αδελφη γυμνο υπαρχωσιν). Condition again of third class (supposable case) with εαν and present active subjunctive of υπαρχω, to exist, in the plural though η (or) is used and not κα (and). Hence γυμνο is masculine plural in the predicate nominative.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ONE OF YOU SAY UNTO THEM (ειπη δε τις αυτοις εξ υμων). Third-class condition again continued from verse James 2:15 with second aorist active subjunctive ειπη.GO IN PEACE (υπαγετε εν ειρηνη). Present active imperative of υπαγω. Common Jewish farewell (Judges 18:6; 1 Samuel 1:17; 1 Samuel 20:4... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT HAVE NOT WORKS (εαν μη εχη εργα). Another condition of the third class with εαν and μη and the present active subjunctive of εχω, "if it keep on not having works."IN ITSELF (καθ' εαυτην). In and of itself (according to itself), inwardly and outwardly dead (νεκρα). Same idiom in Acts 28:16... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, A MAN WILL SAY (αλλ' ερε τις). Future active of ειπον. But αλλ' here is almost certainly adversative (But some one will say), not confirmatory. James introduces an imaginary objector who speaks one sentence: "Thou hast faith and I have works" (Συ πιστιν εχεις καγω εργα εχω). Then James answe... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BELIEVEST THAT GOD IS ONE (συ πιστευεις οτ εις θεος εστιν). James goes on with his reply and takes up mere creed apart from works, belief that God exists (there is one God), a fundamental doctrine, but that is not belief or trust in God. It may be mere creed.THOU DOEST WELL (καλως ποιεις).... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WILT THOU KNOW? (θελεις δε γνωναι?). "But dost thou wish to know?" Ingressive aorist active infinitive of γινοσκω (come to know). James here introduces a new argument like Romans 13:3.O VAIN MAN (ω ανθρωπε κενε). Goes on with the singular objector and demolishes him. For "empty" (deficient)... [ Continue Reading ]
JUSTIFIED BY WORKS (εξ εργων εδικαιωθη). First aorist passive indicative of δικαιοω (see Galatians and Romans for this verb, to declare righteous, to set right) in a question with ουκ expecting an affirmative answer. This is the phrase that is often held to be flatly opposed to Paul's statement i... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SEEST (βλεπεις). Obvious enough with any eyes to see. This may be a question, seest thou?WROUGHT WITH (συνηργε). Imperfect active of συνεργεω, old verb for which see Romans 8:28. Followed by associative-instrumental case εργοις. Faith cooperated with the deed of offering up Isaac.WAS MADE... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS FULFILLED (επληρωθη). First aorist passive indicative of πληροω, the usual verb for fulfilling Scripture. So James quotes Genesis 15:6 as proving his point in verse James 2:21 that Abraham had works with his faith, the very same passage that Paul quotes in Romans 4:3 to show that Abraham's fa... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SEE (ορατε). Present indicative active of οραω. Now he uses the plural again as in James 2:14.IS JUSTIFIED (δικαιουτα). Present passive indicative of δικαιοω, here not "is made righteous," but "is shown to be righteous." James is discussing the proof of faith, not the initial act of being se... [ Continue Reading ]
RAHAB THE HARLOT (Ρααβ η πορνη). Her vicious life she left behind, but the name clung to her always. For our purposes the argument of James may seem stronger without the example of Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21; Joshua 6:17; Joshua 6:22-25; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31). It is even said in Jewish Midrash th... [ Continue Reading ]
APART FROM THE SPIRIT (χωρις πνευματος). "Apart from breath" (the breath of life). It is not easy to tell when one is dead, but the absence of a sign of breath on a glass before the mouth and nose is proof of death. Startling picture of dead faith in our churches and church members with only a na... [ Continue Reading ]