Lukas 11:41

11:41 But give from your heart to those in need, ¹  and ²  then everything will be clean for you. ³ 

Lukas 18:22

18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have ⁴  and give the money ⁵  to the poor, ⁶  and you will have treasure ⁷  in heaven. Then ⁸  come, follow me.”

Lukas 19:8

19:8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give ⁹  to the poor, and if ¹⁰  I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!”

Yesaya 58:7-11

58:7 I want you ¹¹  to share your food with the hungry

and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. ¹² 

When you see someone naked, clothe him!

Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! ¹³ 

58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; ¹⁴ 

your restoration will quickly arrive; ¹⁵ 

your godly behavior ¹⁶  will go before you,

and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. ¹⁷ 

58:9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;

you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’

You must ¹⁸  remove the burdensome yoke from among you

and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.

58:10 You must ¹⁹  actively help the hungry

and feed the oppressed. ²⁰ 

Then your light will dispel the darkness, ²¹ 

and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. ²² 

58:11 The Lord will continually lead you;

he will feed you even in parched regions. ²³ 

He will give you renewed strength, ²⁴ 

and you will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring that continually produces water.

Daniel 4:27

4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.” ²⁵ 

Matius 25:40

25:40 And the king will answer them, ²⁶  ‘I tell you the truth, ²⁷  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ²⁸  of mine, you did it for me.’

Markus 14:5-8

14:5 It ²⁹  could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins ³⁰  and the money ³¹  given to the poor!” So ³²  they spoke angrily to her. 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 14:7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! ³³  14:8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial.

Yohanes 13:29

13:29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, ³⁴  or to give something to the poor.) ³⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 10:2

10:2 He ³⁶  was a devout, God-fearing man, ³⁷  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ³⁸  and prayed to God regularly.

Kisah Para Rasul 10:4

10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ³⁹  replied, ⁴⁰  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ⁴¹  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ⁴²  have gone up as a memorial ⁴³  before God.

Kisah Para Rasul 10:31

10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ⁴⁴  have been remembered before God. ⁴⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 10:2

10:2 He ⁴⁶  was a devout, God-fearing man, ⁴⁷  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ⁴⁸  and prayed to God regularly.

Kolose 1:3-14

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

1:3 We always ⁴⁹  give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 1:4 since ⁵⁰  we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 1:5 Your faith and love have arisen ⁵¹  from the hope laid up ⁵²  for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel ⁵³  1:6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel ⁵⁴  is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing ⁵⁵  among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. 1:7 You learned the gospel ⁵⁶  from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave ⁵⁷  – a ⁵⁸  faithful minister of Christ on our ⁵⁹  behalf – 1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁶⁰  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁶¹  to fill ⁶²  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live ⁶³  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁶⁴  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ⁶⁵  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share ⁶⁶  in the saints’ ⁶⁷  inheritance in the light. 1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ⁶⁸  1:14 in whom we have redemption, ⁶⁹  the forgiveness of sins.

Kolose 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁷⁰  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Titus 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁷¹  a slave ⁷²  of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith ⁷³  of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,

Ibrani 6:10

6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

Yakobus 1:27

1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before ⁷⁴  God the Father ⁷⁵  is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Yakobus 2:15-26

2:15 If a brother or sister ⁷⁶  is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, ⁷⁷  what good is it? 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” ⁷⁸  Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by ⁷⁹  my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. ⁸⁰  Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. ⁸¹ 

2:20 But would you like evidence, ⁸²  you empty fellow, ⁸³  that faith without works is useless? ⁸⁴  2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” ⁸⁵  and he was called God’s friend. ⁸⁶  2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Yakobus 2:1

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ⁸⁷  do not show prejudice ⁸⁸  if you possess faith ⁸⁹  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹⁰ 

Yohanes 3:17

3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, ⁹¹  but that the world should be saved through him.

Yohanes 4:20

4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, ⁹²  and you people ⁹³  say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ⁹⁴ 

[11:41]  ¹ tn Grk “Give the things inside as alms.” Three different approaches have been taken to the syntax and meaning of this phrase: (1) τὰ ἐνόντα (ta enonta, “the things inside”) is an accusative of respect (“give alms with respect to the things inside”); (2) τὰ ἐνόντα is an adverbial accusative (“give alms inwardly,” i.e., from the heart); (3) the word translated “alms” represents a mistranslation of the original Aramaic term “cleanse,” so the statement urges the hearers to “cleanse the things inside.” According to D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 2:1115) the latter meaning is unlikely because the present verse is independent of Matt 23:26, not parallel to it, and makes good sense as it stands.

[11:41]  sn In Jewish culture giving alms to the poor was a very important religious observance; it was meant to be an act of mercy, kindness, and love (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1114). The implication from the text is that the Pharisees gave alms, but without any of the spiritual concern which should have motivated those generous actions. Here Jesus commands the Pharisees to give from within themselves to those in need instead of just giving of their possessions. In so doing they would show true inner purity acceptable to God. This is in keeping with the author’s social concerns elsewhere in the Gospel (cf., e.g., 1:52-53, 4:18-19, 6:20-21, 14:13).

[11:41]  ² tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this clause has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[11:41]  ³ sn The expression everything will be clean for you refers to the agreement that should exist between the overt practice of one’s religious duties, such as almsgiving, and the inner condition of one’s heart, including true love for God and the poor; one is not only to wash the outside of the cup and plate, but the inside as well, since as Jesus said, God created the inside too. Religious duties are not to be performed hypocritically, i.e., for the applause and esteem of people, but rather they are to be done out of a deep love for God and a sensitivity to and concern for the needs of others. Then, everything will be clean, both hearts and lives.

[18:22]  ⁴ sn See Luke 14:33.

[18:22]  ⁵ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:22]  ⁶ sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.

[18:22]  ⁷ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[18:22]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.

[19:8]  ⁹ sn Zacchaeus was a penitent man who resolved on the spot to act differently in the face of Jesus’ acceptance of him. In resolving to give half his possessions to the poor, Zacchaeus was not defending himself against the crowd’s charges and claiming to be righteous. Rather as a result of this meeting with Jesus, he was a changed individual. So Jesus could speak of salvation coming that day (v. 9) and of the lost being saved (v. 10).

[19:8]  ¹⁰ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text. It virtually confesses fraud.

[58:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”

[58:7]  ¹² tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.

[58:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”

[58:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”

[58:8]  sn Light here symbolizes God’s favor and restored blessing, as the immediately following context makes clear.

[58:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”

[58:8]  ¹⁶ tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.

[58:8]  ¹⁷ sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.

[58:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “if you.” In the Hebrew text vv. 9b-10 are one long conditional sentence. The protasis (“if” clauses appear in vv. 9b-10a), with the apodosis (“then” clause) appearing in v. 10b.

[58:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “if you.” See the note on “you must” in v. 9b.

[58:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “If you furnish for the hungry [with] your being, and the appetite of the oppressed you satisfy.”

[58:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “will rise in the darkness.”

[58:10]  ²² tn Heb “and your darkness [will be] like noonday.”

[58:11]  ²³ tn Heb “he will satisfy in parched regions your appetite.”

[58:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and your bones he will strengthen.”

[4:27]  ²⁵ tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”

[25:40]  ²⁶ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:40]  ²⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:40]  ²⁸ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.

[14:5]  ²⁹ tn Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[14:5]  ³⁰ tn Grk “three hundred denarii.” One denarius was the standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking in to account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).

[14:5]  ³¹ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).

[14:5]  ³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[14:7]  ³³ tn In the Greek text of this clause, “me” is in emphatic position (the first word in the clause). To convey some impression of the emphasis, an exclamation point is used in the translation.

[13:29]  ³⁴ tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).

[13:29]  ³⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[10:2]  ³⁶ tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[10:2]  ³⁷ sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to the category called “God-fearers,” Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.

[10:2]  ³⁸ tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).

[10:4]  ³⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “said,” but in response to the angel’s address, “replied” is better English style.

[10:4]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ⁴² tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:4]  ⁴³ sn The language used in the expression gone up as a memorial before God parallels what one would say of acceptable sacrifices (Ps 141:2; Sir 35:6; 50:16).

[10:31]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:31]  ⁴⁵ sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.

[10:2]  ⁴⁶ tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[10:2]  ⁴⁷ sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to the category called “God-fearers,” Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.

[10:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).

[1:3]  ⁴⁹ tn The adverb πάντοτε (pantote) is understood to modify the indicative εὐχαριστοῦμεν (eucaristoumen) because it precedes περὶ ὑμῶν (peri Jumwn) which probably modifies the indicative and not the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi). But see 1:9 where the same expression occurs and περὶ ὑμῶν modifies the participle “praying” (προσευχόμενοι).

[1:4]  ⁵⁰ tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).

[1:5]  ⁵¹ tn Col 1:3-8 form one long sentence in the Greek text and have been divided at the end of v. 4 and v. 6 and within v. 6 for clarity, in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English toward shorter sentences. Thus the phrase “Your faith and love have arisen from the hope” is literally “because of the hope.” The perfect tense “have arisen” was chosen in the English to reflect the fact that the recipients of the letter had acquired this hope at conversion in the past, but that it still remains and motivates them to trust in Christ and to love one another.

[1:5]  ⁵² tn BDAG 113 s.v. ἀπόκειμαι 2 renders ἀποκειμένην (apokeimenhn) with the expression “reserved” in this verse.

[1:5]  ⁵³ tn The term “the gospel” (τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, tou euangeliou) is in apposition to “the word of truth” (τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, tw logw th" alhqeia") as indicated in the translation.

[1:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “just as in the entire world it is bearing fruit.” The antecedent (“the gospel”) of the implied subject (“it”) of ἐστιν (estin) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Though the participles are periphrastic with the present tense verb ἐστίν (estin), the presence of the temporal indicator “from the day” in the next clause indicates that this is a present tense that reaches into the past and should be translated as “has been bearing fruit and growing.” For a discussion of this use of the present tense, see ExSyn 519-20.

[1:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “learned it.” The Greek text simply has “you learned” without the reference to “the gospel,” but “the gospel” is supplied to clarify the sense of the clause. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:7]  ⁵⁷ tn The Greek word translated “fellow slave” is σύνδουλος (sundoulo"); the σύν- prefix here denotes association. Though δοῦλος is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:7]  ⁵⁸ tn The Greek text has “who (ὅς, Jos) is a faithful minister.” The above translation conveys the antecedent of the relative pronoun quite well and avoids the redundancy with the following substantival participle of v. 8, namely, “who told” (ὁ δηλώσας, Jo dhlwsa").

[1:7]  ⁵⁹ tc ‡ Judging by the superior witnesses for the first person pronoun ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “us”; Ì⁴⁶ א* A B D* F G 326* 1505 al) vs. the second person pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “you”; found in א² C D¹ Ψ 075 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy co), ἡμῶν should be regarded as original. Although it is possible that ἡμῶν was an early alteration of ὑμῶν (either unintentionally, as dittography, since it comes seventeen letters after the previous ἡμῶν; or intentionally, to conform to the surrounding first person pronouns), this supposition is difficult to maintain in light of the varied and valuable witnesses for this reading. Further, the second person is both embedded in the verb ἐμάθετε (emaqete) and is explicit in v. 8 (ὑμῶν). Hence, the motivation to change to the first person pronoun is counterbalanced by such evidence. The second person pronoun may have been introduced unintentionally via homoioarcton with the ὑπέρ (Juper) that immediately precedes it. As well, the second person reading is somewhat harder for it seems to address Epaphras’ role only in relation to Paul and his colleagues, rather than in relation to the Colossians. Nevertheless, the decision must be based ultimately on external evidence (because the internal evidence can be variously interpreted), and this strongly supports ἡμῶν.

[1:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁶¹ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁶² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[1:10]  ⁶³ tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁶⁴ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[1:11]  ⁶⁵ tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[1:12]  ⁶⁶ tn BDAG 473 s.v. ἱκανόω states, “τινὰ εἴς τι someone for someth. Col 1:12.” The point of the text is that God has qualified the saints for a “share” or “portion” in the inheritance of the saints.

[1:12]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “the inheritance of the saints.” The genitive noun τῶν ἁγίων (twn Jagiwn) is a possessive genitive: “the saints’ inheritance.”

[1:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

[1:14]  ⁶⁹ tc διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ (dia tou {aimato" autou, “through his blood”) is read at this juncture by several minuscule mss (614 630 1505 2464 al) as well as a few, mostly secondary, versional and patristic witnesses. But the reading was prompted by the parallel in Eph 1:7 where the wording is solid. If these words had been in the original of Colossians, why would scribes omit them here but not in Eph 1:7? Further, the testimony on behalf of the shorter reading is quite overwhelming: {א A B C D F G Ψ 075 0150 6 33 1739 1881 Ï latt co as well as several other versions and fathers}. The conviction that “through his blood” is not authentic in Col 1:14 is as strong as the conviction that these words are authentic in Eph 1:7.

[1:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁷² tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

[1:1]  ⁷³ tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”

[1:27]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “in the sight of”; Grk “with.”

[1:27]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “the God and Father.”

[2:15]  ⁷⁶ tn 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.

[2:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”

[2:18]  ⁷⁸ tn 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.

[2:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “from.”

[2:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “you do well.”

[2:19]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.

[2:20]  ⁸² tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁸³ tn 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).

[2:20]  ⁸⁴ tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴’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.

[2:23]  ⁸⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

[2:23]  ⁸⁶ sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”

[2:1]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[3:17]  ⁹¹ sn That is, “to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment.”

[4:20]  ⁹² sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.

[4:20]  ⁹³ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.

[4:20]  ⁹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.