James 2
Do you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality of face? — where ‘of glory’ attaches is not said, so the order is kept. If a man with gold rings comes into your synagogue in splendid clothing and a poor man in filthy clothing, and you pay regard to the splendid clothing and offer a good place while telling the poor man to stand, you have made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil reasonings — ‘divided’ is the verb of the divided heart at 1:6. Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom? But you have dishonoured the poor man — do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts, and blaspheme the good name called over you? If you are fulfilling the royal law, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality of face, you work sin and are exposed by the law as transgressors. Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become held in all of it, for he who said “Do not commit adultery” also said “Do not murder.” So speak and act as those about to be judged through a law of freedom. The judgement is without mercy to the one who has not done mercy; mercy boasts against judgement. What is the advantage if someone says he has faith but has no works? If a brother or sister is naked and lacking the day’s sustenance and one of you says, “Be warmed and be filled,” but gives nothing, what is the advantage? So faith without works is dead by itself. The demons also believe that God is one — and they shudder. O empty man, do you want to know that faith without works is idle? — ‘idle’ is the negative of ‘work’ by sound. Was not Abraham justified from works when he offered up Isaac on the altar? Faith was working together with his works, and from the works faith was brought to completion; and Gen 15:6 was fulfilled, and he was called a friend of God. Rahab too was justified from works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way. For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Why this rendering
Jas.2.4 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ἐν προσωπολημψίαις ἔχετε τὴν πίστιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς δόξης; … where τῆς δόξης attaches the text does not say — to the Lord, to Christ or to the faith, so the order is kept · προσωπολημψία ‘partiality of face’ is plural (as fixed at Eph 6:9) · συναγωγή ‘synagogue’ is the one place it is used of a Christian gathering, and the word of the base text is kept · χρυσοδακτύλιος ‘with gold rings’ is once in the New Testament, joining ‘gold’ to ‘finger’ · ἐσθής ‘clothing’ (as fixed at Luke 24:4) comes twice, with λαμπρός ‘splendid’ (as fixed at Luke 23:11) against ῥυπαρός ‘filthy’ — ῥυπαρός shares a root with ῥυπαρία ‘filth’ at 1:21 · διεκρίθητε ‘made distinctions’ is the verb of ‘doubt’ at 1:6 — the dividing within becomes a dividing among · διαλογισμός ‘reasonings’ (as fixed at Phil 2:14) · the genitive of κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν reads two ways.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Where τῆς δόξης attaches is not said — moving it to ‘the Lord of glory’ would choose for the text.
Basis This is the one place the word is used of a Christian gathering, and the writer chose it — ‘assembly’ would erase the choice.
Basis The verb that divided the heart at 1:6 is here used among people — ‘discriminate’ would cut the link.
Lost in translation
τῆς δόξης (v.1) — where it attaches is not said. Both keep the order.
χρυσοδακτύλιος (v.2) — one word joining ‘gold’ to ‘finger’. Both must unfold it.
ῥυπαρός (v.2) — one root with ‘filth’ at 1:21. ‘Filthy’ keeps the link.
διεκρίθητε (v.4) — the verb of ‘doubt’ at 1:6. The two places take different words.
συναγωγή (v.2) — used of a Christian gathering. Both keep the word.
κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν (v.4) — the genitive reads two ways. Both keep the phrase.
Why this rendering
Jas.2.7 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἀκούσατε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. οὐχ ὁ θεὸς ἐξελέξατο τοὺς πτωχοὺς ⸂τῷ κόσμῳ⸃ πλουσίους ἐν πίστει … Three questions follow one another (vv.5 · 6 · 7), each ‘did he not / do they not’ · ⸂τῷ κόσμῳ⸃ is dative, ‘the poor of the world’, and what it means the text does not say · πτωχός ‘poor’ and πλούσιος ‘rich’ face each other four times in three verses · the lowly brother and the rich one of 1:9-10 return here · ἀτιμάζω ‘dishonour’ (as fixed at Rom 2:23) · καταδυναστεύω ‘oppress’ stands with Acts 10:38, where those oppressed were oppressed by the devil · ἕλκω ‘drag’ (as fixed at Acts 21:30) · κριτήριον ‘court’ (as fixed at 1 Cor 6:2) · ἐπικληθέν ‘called over’ is passive and names no one — nor does the text say what the good name is.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Whether in the world’s eyes or with respect to the world is not said — either unfolding would fill it in.
Basis It is the verb of those oppressed by the devil at Acts 10:38 — one rendering for the two.
Basis The text names neither the name nor who called it — ‘the name of Christ’ would fill both.
Lost in translation
⸂τῷ κόσμῳ⸃ (v.5) — what the dative means is not said. Both leave it open.
πτωχός / πλούσιος (vv.5-6) — facing four times in three verses. Both keep the contrast.
καταδυναστεύω (v.6) — the verb of Acts 10:38. Both stand alike.
ἐπικληθέν (v.7) — passive, and who called is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
Three questions (vv.5 · 6 · 7) — one after another. Both keep them as questions.
The lowly brother and the rich one of 1:9-10 — returning here. Both use the same words.
Why this rendering
Jas.2.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
Εἰ μέντοι νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν κατὰ τὴν γραφήν … νόμος ‘law’ comes five times at vv.8-12, and two of them — ‘royal law’ and ‘law of freedom’ — stand without the article · βασιλικός ‘royal’ (as fixed at Acts 12:20) attaches to a law only here, and why it is royal the text does not say · προσωπολημπτέω ‘show partiality of face’ and ἀνέλεος ‘without mercy’ stand once in the New Testament — the first turns the noun of v.1 into a verb · ἐλέγχω ‘expose’ (as fixed at John 3:20) takes the law as its subject · πταίω ‘stumble’ (as fixed at Rom 11:11) comes at 2:10 and 3:2 · ἔνοχος ‘held in’ (as fixed at Mark 3:29) · the order of the two quotations follows the Greek Old Testament (adultery, murder) · κατακαυχᾶται ἔλεος κρίσεως ‘mercy boasts against judgement’ — the verb of Rom 11:18, with mercy as subject · ἔλεος ‘mercy’ comes three times in v.13.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text does not say — ‘the law of the King’ or ‘the supreme law’ would choose for it.
Basis The writer turns the noun of v.1 into a verb — ‘discriminate’ would cut the root.
Basis The text makes mercy the subject — ‘mercy triumphs over judgement’ would lose the verb of Rom 11:18.
Lost in translation
‘Royal law’ and ‘law of freedom’ without the article (vv.8 · 12) — English must choose.
προσωπολημπτέω (v.9) — the noun of v.1 turned into a verb. Both keep the root.
ἔλεος three times and ἀνέλεος once (v.13) — one root four times in one verse. ‘Mercy / without mercy’ keeps it.
κατακαυχᾶται (v.13) — the verb of Rom 11:18, with mercy as subject. Both keep the subject.
πταίω (v.10) — coming at 2:10 and 3:2. ‘Stumble’ joins the two.
The order of the two quotations (v.11) — adultery before murder. Both keep the order.
Why this rendering
Jas.2.20 Observation
Syntactic observation
⸀Τί ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; … ‘What is the advantage’ comes at v.14 and v.16, framing the passage · ἐφήμερος ‘the day’s’, ἐπιτήδειος ‘fitting’ and φρίσσω ‘shudder’ all stand once in the New Testament · whether θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε are imperatives or middles the text does not say — rendered as commands · where the quotation of v.18 closes the text does not say — closed after ‘you have faith and I have works’ · ⸂εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός⸃ at v.19 is the phrase of the Shema (Mark 12:29) · φρίσσω properly means the hair standing up, and ‘shudder’ carries the picture only in part · ἀργή ‘idle’ and ἔργα ‘works’ interlock by sound — the first is the second with a negative prefix, contracted — faith without works is un-worked · κενός ‘empty’ (as fixed at Eph 5:6) · νεκρά ἐστιν comes at vv.17 and 26, closing the chapter.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text does not divide imperative from middle — ‘go’ before them is imperative, so the three stand alike.
Basis The text does not say where it closes — a longer quotation would put ‘show me’ in the objector’s mouth and reverse the argument. The choice is recorded.
Basis It properly means the hair standing up, and no one word does it — ‘shudder’ keeps the body but not the hair.
Lost in translation
τί ὄφελος (vv.14 · 16) — framing the passage. Both places stand alike.
φρίσσω (v.19) — properly the hair standing up. ‘Shudder’ does not carry it.
ἀργή / ἔργα (v.20) — ‘idle’ is the negative of ‘work’ by sound. Both lose the interlock.
θερμαίνεσθε · χορτάζεσθε (v.16) — imperative or middle is not said. Both close on the imperative.
The quotation of v.18 — where it closes is not said. Both must choose a place.
νεκρά ἐστιν (vv.17 · 26) — framing the chapter. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
Jas.2.26 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη … The quotation is Gen 15:6, and Rom 4:3 and Gal 3:6 quote the same sentence — the three stand word for word alike · δικαιόω ‘be justified’ comes three times, at vv.21, 24 and 25, all passive — the verb of Rom 3:28 · ἐξ ἔργων ‘from works’ comes three times, at vv.21, 24 and 25 · ἀναφέρω ‘offer up’ (as fixed at Heb 7:27) is used of Isaac — Heb 11:17 uses προσφέρω ‘offer’ of the same act · συνεργέω ‘work together’ (as fixed at Rom 8:28) has faith as its subject · ἐτελειώθη ‘was brought to completion’ · φίλος θεοῦ ‘a friend of God’ lies outside the quotation and the text names no place for it · ὑποδέχομαι ‘welcome’ (as fixed at Luke 10:38) with ἀγγέλους ‘messengers’ — Heb 11:31 calls the same men κατάσκοπος ‘spies’ · πνεῦμα ‘spirit’ (v.26) — not turned into ‘breath’.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Heb 11:17 uses a different verb of the same act — the two books chose differently and the difference is kept.
Basis Heb 11:31 calls the same men ‘spies’ — keeping the word here lets the two books differ.
Basis This edition fixes πνεῦμα as ‘spirit’ — ‘breath’ would cut the thread of one word.
Lost in translation
The quotation of Gen 15:6 (v.23) — Rom 4:3 and Gal 3:6 have the same sentence. All three stand alike.
ἀναφέρω (v.21) — Heb 11:17 uses a different verb of the same act. Both keep the difference.
ἀγγέλους (v.25) — Heb 11:31 calls them ‘spies’. Both keep the word of the base text.
ἐξ ἔργων three times (vv.21 · 24 · 25) — one phrase. Both use the same words.
φίλος θεοῦ (v.23) — outside the quotation, with no place named. Neither locale supplies one.
πνεῦμα (v.26) — the word this edition fixes as ‘spirit’. Neither turns it into ‘breath’.