For if a man …: James has just pointed out that discrimination is inconsistent with faith in Jesus Christ. He now proceeds to give an example. The conjunction For is used here to explain what is said in verse 1, and it therefore has the force of “To illustrate” or “For instance” (New English Bible, Revised English Bible). The “if” clause can be taken as the subordinate clause of the long conditional sentence here, and verse 4 “have you not…” as the main clause. If points to a hypothetical situation, especially with the exaggerated details in the example, but we can not rule out the possibility that it reflects some typical and actual problem faced by the church. To indicate a hypothetical situation it may be more natural in some languages to begin the sentence with “Suppose” as Good News Translation has done (so also Moffatt, Phillips, New International Version, Contemporary English Version). In other languages quite different constructions are required for hypothetical statements, and such constructions should be used in this context. Since verses 2 and 3 constitute a long conditional statement, it is possible, in order to avoid confusion, to repeat if at appropriate places, as New Revised Standard Version has done, “For if a person…, and if a poor person…, and if you…,” or “suppose” as Contemporary English Version has done, “Suppose a rich person… And suppose a poor person….”

Here man, in Greek, is the word for a male person. Obviously our author is taking a male person as an example. In languages where an inclusive and general term is available, such as “person” (New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version), it is desirable to use it here. This person, wearing expensive rings and clothing, and in contrast to the poor man, is obviously a rich person. And so Good News Translation has made this clear, “a rich man” (so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant). The context also suggests that both the poor man and the rich man mentioned here are visitors, not regular church members, for otherwise they would not need to be shown to their seat (compare the rendering “visitors” [New English Bible, Revised English Bible]). And their social status is known only by their outward appearance.

James obviously wants to paint for his readers a picture with a sharp contrast: two men, one wearing gold rings and in fine clothing, the other in shabby clothing. In Greek gold rings is one word, and it appears only here in the New Testament. The wearing of rings by men was not unknown among the Jews. In the parable of the two sons (Luke 15.11-32), a ring was put on the finger of the younger son, perhaps as a symbol of authority. Here it is no doubt used as a symbol of wealth and social status. In some languages it will be more natural to say “wearing a gold ring [singular]” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). In other languages that employ numeral classifiers, translating gold rings literally will result in an unnatural phrase; for example, “wearing ring golden several pieces.” Languages such as these usually have an expression that is not marked for number, meaning that it is neither singular nor plural. Such an expression should be used in this context.

The image of wealth and social status is further illustrated by the rich man wearing fine clothing. The expression fine clothing is literally “shining garments.” The adjective “shining” is used of the clothing of an angel (Acts 10.30) and of the clean linen worn by the bride of the Lamb (Rev 19.8). It is quite possible that the author uses this adjective to describe the clothing worn by the rich man as both elegant and luxurious as well as spotlessly clean, as contrasted to the shabby and dirty clothing worn by the poor man. Other possible ways to express fine clothing are “expensive clothes,” or even “fancy clothes” (Contemporary English Version). In certain languages it will be more natural to put the reference to clothing after the gold ring and say “wearing a gold ring and expensive clothes.” Though we cannot with any degree of certainty judge whether or not this rich man is a senator, nobleman, or politician, as has been suggested (Reicke), we cannot miss getting the impression that he is a man of wealth, power, and social standing.

In stark contrast the poor man comes in shabby clothing. The poor man in Greek denotes a beggarly person who has nothing, not just a man without property and therefore having to earn his own living. The adjective shabby, as used in this context, is meant to be a word opposite in meaning to fine. In translation, therefore, it is desirable to maintain the contrast; for example, “fine … shabby,” “well dressed … ill-clad,” “shiny-clean … dirty.”

We may note here that neither the man with gold rings and fine clothing nor the poor man is identified as a Christian, but it is generally assumed that they are; otherwise it would be strange for them to visit a Christian assembly. It is also to be assumed that they are not members of this particular Christian community but are visitors; otherwise there is no need for them to be shown where to sit.

The word rendered assembly is the word often rendered, or rather transliterated, as “synagogue” when used of the Jewish place of meeting for worship or teaching. The reason for using this word here instead of the normal word for “church,” which James uses in 5.14, is debated. It has been suggested that the word refers to a Jewish synagogue where Jewish Christians still retained their membership rights. This understanding is unlikely in that, as the expression into your assembly indicates, Christians were the ones showing where visitors would sit; they obviously had their own authority to dictate what they wanted to do. It is probably best to take assembly as a reference to a Christian assembly, as some of the early Christians occasionally called their own meeting places by this name. Another question is whether the term is to be taken as the place of meeting or the assembly of people. Most likely the latter is intended, even though a meeting is impossible without a place. The nature of the meeting is not defined. It is generally assumed that it is a meeting for worship. Recently, however, it has been suggested that it is a congregational gathering to hear a judicial case. But this is unlikely, as it seems clear that both of the people are visitors. In either case it should not affect the translation. On the whole a general rendering like “meeting” (Good News Translation; so also Phillips, Barclay, Revised English Bible) is preferable to “synagogue” (New Jerusalem Bible), “church” (Living Bible), or even “place of worship” (New English Bible; so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Other possible ways to express comes into your assembly are “comes to where you are meeting together” and “comes into the place where….”

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:
• Supposing a rich person wearing expensive-looking clothes and a gold ring [on his finger] comes into the place where you are meeting. And suppose a poor person wearing shabby [or, worn-out] clothing comes in too.

Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .