Yakobus 1:17-18

1:17 All generous giving and every perfect gift ¹  is from above, coming down ²  from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. ³  1:18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth ⁴  through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Yakobus 2:18

2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” ⁵  Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by ⁶  my works.

Yakobus 2:20

2:20 But would you like evidence, ⁷  you empty fellow, ⁸  that faith without works is useless? ⁹ 

Yakobus 2:22

2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.

Yakobus 3:3

3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. ¹⁰ 

Yakobus 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ¹¹  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ¹²  from your passions that battle inside you? ¹³ 

Yakobus 5:4

5:4 Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

Yakobus 5:9

5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, ¹⁴  so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! ¹⁵ 

[1:17]  ¹ tn The first phrase refers to the action of giving and the second to what is given.

[1:17]  ² tn Or “All generous giving and every perfect gift from above is coming down.”

[1:17]  ³ tn Grk “variation or shadow of turning” (referring to the motions of heavenly bodies causing variations of light and darkness).

[1:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “Having willed, he gave us birth.”

[2:18]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Or “from.”

[2:20]  ⁷ tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “their entire body.”

[4:1]  ¹¹ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ¹² tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[5:9]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:9]  ¹⁵ sn The term gates is used metaphorically here. The physical referent would be the entrances to the city, but the author uses the term to emphasize the imminence of the judge’s approach.