James 3
Let not many become teachers — knowing we will receive a greater judgement, and the writer puts himself in that ‘we’. We all stumble in many things. Whoever does not stumble in word is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body — the verb used of the tongue at 1:26 returns here as horses’ bridles. Three small things steer three great ones: bridles the horses, a very small rudder the great ship, the small member the man. How small a fire kindles how great a forest! And the tongue is a fire — the world of unrighteous deeds, set among our members, staining the whole body (overturning ‘keep oneself spotless’ at 1:27), setting aflame the wheel of birth, and set aflame by Gehenna. Every nature of wild beasts and birds, creeping things and sea creatures — the order of Gen 1:26 — is subdued and has been subdued by the human nature; but the tongue no one can subdue, an unsettled evil (the word for the double-minded man at 1:8), full of death-bearing venom. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made according to the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come blessing and curse; these things ought not so to be — ‘ought’ being a verb that stands only here. Does the spring gush sweet and bitter from the same hole? Can a fig tree make olives, or a vine figs? Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show his works from good conduct in the gentleness of wisdom — ‘let him show’ returns from 2:18. If you have bitter zeal and selfish ambition, do not boast against and lie against the truth — the boasting that mercy did against judgement at 2:13. This wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, of the life, demonic; where zeal and selfish ambition are, there is upheaval and every bad deed. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, forbearing, easily persuaded (the root by which horses are persuaded at 3:3), full of mercy and good fruits, without distinction (the doubt of 1:6 and the distinctions of 2:4 closed as a negative), without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Why this rendering
Jas.3.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου … the writer puts himself in the ‘we’ (we will receive, we all stumble) · πταίω ‘stumble’ returns from 2:10 · χαλιναγωγέω ‘bridle’ (1:26) returns here paired with χαλινός ‘bridle’ — a word of chapter 1 becomes a picture in chapter 3 · three small things steer three great ones — bridles the horses, a rudder the ship, the tongue the man · μετάγω ‘turn about’ stands only at 3:3 and 3:4 · εὐθύνω ‘steer straight’ is the word of ‘Make straight the way’ at John 1:23 · ὁρμή ‘movement’ (as fixed at Acts 14:5) · τροχός ‘wheel’ is once in the New Testament and shares a root with τροχιά ‘track’ at Heb 12:13 · ὕλη ‘forest’ and αὐχέω ‘vaunt’ are also once in the New Testament · σπιλόω ‘stain’ shares a root with ἄσπιλος ‘spotless’ at Jas 1:27 · γένεσις ‘birth’ (the word attached to the face at 1:23) attaches here to a wheel, and what it means the text does not say · γέεννα ‘Gehenna’ (as fixed at Mark 9:43, kept in transcription).
Rendering options · 3
Basis The verb used of the tongue at 1:26 returns here as horses’ bridles — another rendering would lose the echo.
Basis The text does not say what it means — ‘the course of life’ would bring in a picture it does not have.
Basis ‘Keep oneself spotless’ at 1:27 is overturned here — ‘defile’ would lose the reversal.
Lost in translation
χαλιναγωγέω (1:26) / χαλινός (3:3) — one root joining two chapters. ‘Bridle’ keeps it.
σπιλόω (v.6) — one root with ‘spotless’ at 1:27. ‘Stain’ does not carry the link.
τροχός (v.6) — one root with ‘track’ at Heb 12:13. ‘Wheel’ shows the link.
τῆς γενέσεως (v.6) — the word attached to the face at 1:23 attaches to a wheel. Both stand alike.
εὐθύνω (v.4) — the word of ‘Make straight’ at John 1:23. Both keep ‘straight’.
φλογίζουσα / φλογιζομένη (v.6) — one participle, active then passive. Both render the voices.
Why this rendering
Jas.3.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων δαμάζεται … The four kinds follow the order of Gen 1:26 (wild beasts, birds, creeping things, sea creatures) · ἐνάλιον ‘sea creature’, θανατηφόρος ‘death-bearing’, ὁμοίωσις ‘likeness’, χρή ‘ought’, βρύω ‘gush’ and ἁλυκός ‘salt’ all stand once in the New Testament · δαμάζω ‘subdue’ comes in the present and then the perfect — the verb of Mark 5:4 · ἀκατάστατος ‘unsettled’ returns from 1:8 — the word for the double-minded man comes to the tongue · ὁμοίωσις is the phrase of Gen 1:26 and shares a root with ὅμοιος ‘like’ · χρή is a verb that stands only here in the New Testament, meaning ‘it ought’ — a different word from δεῖ · ὀπή ‘hole’ (as fixed at Heb 11:38) is used of a spring · v.12 closes with two questions and one statement, and the last clause has no subject.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets one verb in two times in a row — levelling would lose the repetition.
Basis It is the word of Gen 1:26 and shares a root with ὅμοιος — ‘image’ would take the place of εἰκών.
Basis The text uses this verb only here — one rendering with δεῖ would erase the choice.
Lost in translation
The four kinds (v.7) — the order of Gen 1:26. Both keep the order.
δαμάζεται / δεδάμασται (v.7) — present then perfect. Both render the two times.
ἀκατάστατον (v.8) — the word for the double-minded man at 1:8. Both stand alike.
ὁμοίωσις (v.9) — one root with ὅμοιος ‘like’. ‘Likeness’ keeps the link.
χρή (v.10) — a verb standing only here. ‘Ought’ keeps it apart from δεῖ.
The last clause of v.12 has no subject — both must supply one.
Why this rendering
Jas.3.16 Observation
Syntactic observation
Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ … ‘let him show’ returns from 2:18 — there faith, here works · ἐπιστήμων ‘understanding’ and δαιμονιώδης ‘demonic’ stand once in the New Testament — the first shares a root with ἐπίσταμαι ‘know’ at Acts 19:15 · ζῆλος ‘zeal’ comes here with ‘bitter’ — the word of John 2:17, which at Acts 5:17 was ‘jealousy’ · κατακαυχάομαι ‘boast against’ returns from 2:13 — there mercy against judgement, here people against the truth · ψυχική ‘of the life’ is the word of 1 Cor 2:14, where it faced πνευματικός; here it stands between ‘earthly’ and ‘demonic’ · ἀκαταστασία ‘upheaval’ (as fixed at Luke 21:9) returns as the root of ἀκατάστατος at 1:8 and 3:8 · φαῦλος ‘bad’ (as fixed at Rom 9:11) · vv.15-16 set out two rows of three.
Rendering options · 3
Basis This edition fixes ψυχή as ‘life’ and rendered 1 Cor 2:14 by its adjective — ‘sensual’ would add a word the text does not have.
Basis ‘Jealousy’ would take the place of Acts 5:17 and blur why ‘bitter’ is attached — here a good word turns bitter.
Basis The text hangs ‘against the truth’ on both — merging them would lose the verb of 2:13.
Lost in translation
δειξάτω (v.13) — ‘show’ of 2:18 returning. Both stand alike.
ἐπιστήμων (v.13) — one root with ‘know’ at Acts 19:15. ‘Understanding’ does not carry it.
κατακαυχάομαι (v.14) — what mercy did at 2:13, people do here. Both stand alike.
ψυχική (v.15) — the word of 1 Cor 2:14, sharing a root with ψυχή ‘life’. English breaks the root.
ἀκαταστασία (v.16) — one root with ‘unsettled’ at 1:8 and 3:8. Both lose the link.
Two rows of three (vv.15-16) — the order carries the sense. Both keep it.
Why this rendering
Jas.3.18 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική … Seven adjectives are bound by ‘first … then’ — purity stands first and six follow · εὐπειθής ‘easily persuaded’ and ἀδιάκριτος ‘without distinction’ stand once in the New Testament · εὐπειθής shares a root with ‘be persuaded’ at 3:3 — as horses are persuaded by the bridle, so is wisdom · ἀδιάκριτος shares a root with διακρίνω, ‘doubt’ at 1:6 and ‘make distinctions’ at 2:4 — here it comes as a negative · ἀνυπόκριτος ‘without hypocrisy’ (as fixed at 1 Tim 1:5) · εἰρηνική at v.17 and εἰρήνῃ and εἰρήνην at v.18 — one root three times in two verses · whether the dative τοῖς ποιοῦσιν at v.18 names who sows or for whom the text does not say · σπείρω ‘sow’ (as fixed at 2 Cor 9:6) · καρπός comes at v.17 and v.18, closing the passage · μεστός ‘full’ (as fixed at Rom 1:29) stands against ‘full of venom’ at 3:8.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is the adjective of the verb by which horses are persuaded at 3:3 — ‘obedient’ would bring in the word of ὑπακούω and cut the link.
Basis The doubt of 1:6 and the distinctions of 2:4 close here as a negative — ‘impartial’ would cut the thread.
Basis Whether it names who sows or for whom is not said — English must choose.
Lost in translation
Seven adjectives (v.17) — bound by ‘first … then’. Both keep the order.
εὐπειθής (v.17) — one root with ‘be persuaded’ at 3:3. Both keep the link.
ἀδιάκριτος (v.17) — one root with διακρίνω at 1:6 and 2:4. English breaks the link.
The peace-words three times (vv.17-18) — one root in two verses. ‘Peace’ joins the three.
τοῖς ποιοῦσιν (v.18) — the dative reads two ways. English must choose.
μεστή (v.17) — against ‘full of venom’ at 3:8. Both use the same word.