Yakobus 1:19-20

Living Out the Message

1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! ¹  Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 1:20 For human ²  anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ³ 

Yakobus 3:14-18

3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such ⁴  wisdom does not come ⁵  from above but is earthly, natural, ⁶  demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, ⁷  full of mercy and good fruit, ⁸  impartial, and not hypocritical. ⁹  3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness ¹⁰  is planted ¹¹  in peace among ¹²  those who make peace.

[1:19]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[1:20]  ² tn The word translated “human” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person” (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2), and in this context, contrasted with “God’s righteousness,” the point is “human” anger (not exclusively “male” anger).

[1:20]  ³ sn God’s righteousness could refer to (1) God’s righteous standard, (2) the righteousness God gives, (3) righteousness before God, or (4) God’s eschatological righteousness (see P. H. Davids, James [NIGTC], 93, for discussion).

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “This.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.

[3:17]  ⁷ tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

[3:17]  ⁸ tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

[3:17]  ⁹ tn Or “sincere.”

[3:18]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.

[3:18]  ¹¹ tn Grk “is sown.”

[3:18]  ¹² tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”