translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JAS

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2 .


text: Or “partiality.”


text: Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.


text: Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης ( doxhs ) has been translated as an attributive genitive.


text: The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ ( anhr ), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, “equivalent to τὶς someone .”


text: Grk “synagogue.” Usually συναγωγή refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23 , Mark 1:21 , Luke 4:15 , John 6:59 ). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2 .b.).


text: Grk “and you pay attention…and say,” continuing the “if” clauses from v. 2 . In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.


text: Or “sit here, please.”


text: Grk “sit under my footstool.” The words “on the floor” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace “under my footstool” with “at my feet” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).


text: Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3 ).


text: Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”


text: This is singular: “the poor person,” perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3 .


text: Grk “that was invoked over you,” referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lord’s name “named over them” is OT imagery for the Lord’s ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14 ; Amos 9:12 ; Isa 63:19 ; Jer 14:9; 15:16 ; Dan 9:19 ; Acts 15:17 ).


text: Grk “according to the scripture.”


text: Or “transgressors.”


text: Or “stumbles.”


text: Grk “guilty of all.”


text: Grk “a law of freedom.”


text: Grk “boasts against, exults over,” in victory.


text: Grk “the faith,” referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun πίστις ( pisti" ) in the verse. See ExSyn 219.


text: It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός ( adelfos ) and ἀδελφή ( adelfh ) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2 .


text: Grk “what is necessary for the body.”


text: There is considerable doubt about where the words of the “someone” end and where James’ reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18 ; others to the end of v. 19 . But most punctuate as shown above. The “someone” is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, “Some have faith; others have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” James’ reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.


text: Or “from.”


text: Grk “you do well.”


text: Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.


text: Grk “do you want to know.”


text: Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε ( anqrwpe , “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).


text: ’s reading picks up on κενέ ( kene ) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.