Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation: who is this lowly brother? In the Bible the word brother is used in various ways. It can mean (1) a brother or a close relative; (2) a compatriot or fellow citizen; (3) an intimate friend or a neighbor; 4) a fellow member of a religious community—a fellow believer, a fellow Christian. Commentators generally agree that in this context a fellow Christian is meant. A number of translations have therefore expressed this meaning directly; for example, “those Christians who are poor” (Good News Translation), “the believer who is lowly” (New Revised Standard Version), “the church member in humble circumstances” (Revised English Bible), and so on.

The word lowly is rendered as “poor” by Good News Translation and many other translations. Its usual meaning is “humble,” or “unimportant” (compare 2 Cor 7.6, “downcast”; 10.1, “humble”). But used in contrast to “the rich” in verse 10, the author obviously wants it to mean “poor”—but poor both economically and socially, referring to someone who lacks material goods and at the same time is socially despised and oppressed. It is very difficult to bring out the full meaning in translation. Some commentators place the focus on the lack of material means; for example, “poor” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant); others on low social status; for example, “low position” (Moffatt, Goodspeed) or “nobody in the eyes of the world” (Barclay); still others more inclusively; for example, “lowly circumstances” (New American Bible), “humble circumstances” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible), or “poor and oppressed” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Of course in many cultures the concept of “poor” already includes “low social status.” Another way to translate lowly or “poor” in this context is “the Christian with few possessions.”

Let … boast is an imperative in Greek, but the force appears to be less than an actual demand like “… must boast.” It is perhaps a form of speech used “when reality is being distinguished from appearance” (Dibelius), and is therefore best rendered as “ought to…” (New International Version), “should…” (New American Bible), “it is right that … should” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “does well to…” (Revised English Bible).

James exhorts the poor Christian to boast in his exaltation. The use of boast here is somewhat unexpected, in that the word is often used in the negative sense of arrogance, boasting or pride in yourself or your righteousness, as in 4.16 (also Rom 2.17, 23; 3.27; 1 Cor 1.29; 4.7; 2 Cor 11.18). But here it is best taken in the positive sense of “joyous pride,” with renderings like “rejoice” (King James Version), “be glad” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), “exult” (Moffatt), “glory in” (Luther [Luther 1984], New Jerusalem Bible). Taken in this sense we can see the connection with verse 2, where the Christians are encouraged to consider “trials” as being “fortunate” or “pure joy.”

The cause of gladness and pride is in exaltation. The meaning of the word exaltation is understood in a number of ways. Some take it to mean a moral gain achieved through trials (1.2); for example, “new heights of character” (Barclay). Others place the focus on social standing; for example, “eminence” (Goodspeed), “high standing” (New American Bible), and “high position” (New International Version). Still others take it to mean inward and spiritual elevation Christians enjoy by virtue of their new relationship with Christ, and render it as “true riches” (Phillips), “God lifts him up” (New English Bible, Spanish common language version [Biblia Dios Habla Hoy], Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), or inclusively “God lifts them up” (Good News Translation). What James says in 2.5 can be taken as an appropriate commentary on the saying here: “God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom that he promised to those who love him” (Good News Translation).

In order to understand the meaning properly, it will be good to keep two things in mind, even though it will probably not affect the translation.
(1) The exaltation has eschatological significance; that is, it includes the Christian’s present enjoyment of his exalted spiritual status (compare Luke 6.20) as well as future inheritance made possible by participation in the eternal kingdom already established but yet to be brought to its full glory by Christ.
(2) The spiritual exaltation also has a social significance. Though the Christian is poor and therefore belongs to the lower class, that person is not low in the sight of God nor in the standing of the Christian community.

It is not “the hard experiences of life” (Barclay) that bring about the poor Christian’s exaltation. As the question raised by our author in 2.5 indicates, the ultimate agent is God; he is the one who chooses the poor to be rich in faith; he is the author of this great reversal. And so a number of translations have made this clear: “When God lifts them up” (Good News Translation; similarly New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament). Other ways of expressing this may be: “When God shows him that in his heart he is rich” or “… shows him that in his heart he does not lack any good quality.”

The following alternative translation models may be used:
• The Christian who is poor and of low social status must be glad [or, rejoice] when God gives him spiritual riches.
• The Christians who have few possessions must feel great satisfaction when God shows them that in their hearts they are rich [or, have many good qualities].

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 .

What James goes on to say is that, in contrast to the “poor,” the rich person should boast in his humiliation. Just as the poor often signifies low status and powerlessness in society, so the rich often has the sense of high position and power in society (compare “the rich and mighty,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Scholars do not agree as to whether or not the rich is a Christian. Some maintain that the rich is not a Christian for the following reasons: (1) If the rich were a Christian, our author would have used the word “brother” here as in the previous clause. (2) Elsewhere in this letter (2.6-8; 5.1-6) the rich are always depicted as bad people outside the Christian community. (3) If the rich were a Christian, the humiliation would have to be understood in a literal sense, namely a loss of wealth, as the following verses appear to confirm. However, the “exaltation” that the poor Christian enjoys can only be a spiritual blessing. It is most unlikely, it is argued, that our author would use a spiritual sense (“exaltation”) and a literal sense (humiliation) together in a single sentence. (4) It would be strange for James to speak of a Christian brother “passing away” and “fading away.”

On the other hand, the main reasons for interpreting the rich as a Christian are: (1) The structure of the sentence demands that “brother,” appearing before the modifier “lowly” in verse 9, is most naturally taken as governing “the rich” in verse 10 also. (2) Since verse 10a does not have a verb, structurally the natural one to supply is “boast” of verse 9. If so, it is reasonable to assume that it will have the same sense. The train of thought of verse 10 is then “and let the rich brother boast in his humiliation.” (3) It is unlikely and strained for our author to be giving exhortation to rich non-Christians. If that were the case, what our author says here will make sense only if he gives the meaning of “boast” a forced and ironic twist.

Here we have a case where there is no complete agreement among scholars and translators, and therefore individual interpreters and translators have to make their own decisions. It is possible to remain neutral by rendering the saying more literally, such as “The lowly brother should take pride in … and the rich in…,” leaving it to the teacher or preacher to explain what it should mean here. If, however, we decide on the first interpretation, the translation will most likely come out something like Knox: “(9) Is one of the brethren in humble circumstances? Let him be proud of it; it exalts him, (10) whereas the rich man takes pride in what in truth abases him.” Notice two interesting shifts: First there is a shift from an imperative “let him be proud of” to an indicative “… takes pride in.” This is the ironic twist mentioned above. Incidentally, in Knox‘s translation the irony is also seen in the expression “in truth.” Secondly, there is a shift from “one of the brethren in humble circumstances” to “the rich man.”

If, however, we accept the second interpretation, which appears to fit the context and the tone of the letter better, then we understand that the author is simply instructing the rich Christian to take no pride in worldly possessions or position, but to humble himself before God. The only adjustment needed in translation then is to make it clear that the rich is a Christian. This can be done in various ways; for example, “the rich Christians” (Good News Translation), “the wealthy [church] member” (Revised English Bible), or “the rich brother” (Bible en français courant). This second interpretation is the more likely one, and is recommended for translators.

The question remains as to what the author means by humiliation. Some take it in a literal sense to mean that by becoming a Christian the rich person has had to suffer loss of property through persecution, or to lose business connections and therefore incomes, as the rendering “being reduced in circumstances” (Goodspeed) appears to show. Others interpret it to mean loss of social standing or position in the general community, being treated as a social outcast by the person’s former peers; for example, “low position” (New International Version). Still others, taking it as a parallel in usage but opposite in meaning to exaltation, understand it to mean “humility” in a spiritual sense, in identifying with the humbling and self-emptying Christ (compare Phil 2.8). Translations that follow this understanding usually recognize God as the one who creates the attitude of humility; for example, “when God brings them down” (Good News Translation; similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant), or “God has shown him his spiritual poverty” (Phillips). This interpretation seems the more likely one. Other ways to express in his humiliation may be “The rich Christian boasts only that he has been humbled [or, that God has humbled him],” or “The rich person boasts when God shows him that in his heart he is humble.” Another way of rendering this first sentence may be “But any Christian who is rich should be glad when God humbles him.” In languages where inclusive language is preferred, the subject may be changed to the plural, as Good News Translation has done: “Those Christians … they….”

Because like the flower of the grass he will pass away: what James goes on to say next is best taken not as an explanation of the meaning of humiliation but as the reason for the rich Christian to be glad or boast in humiliation. It is quite possible that James is here alluding to the proverbial saying in Isa 40.6-8, and the similar thought that appears in Psa 103.15, 16. In both passages there is a contrast between the brief life span of humankind and the permanence of God. It is idle to debate whether flower of the grass is a correct rendering of the Hebrew original that should have been translated “flower of the field.” Most likely they mean the same thing, both referring to an uncultivated flower growing in the wild. At least this would be the case in some languages. In translation something like “wild flower” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible), or “flower of the field” (New English Bible, New American Bible), or “the flower of a weed” will do. In many languages there will be no difference between “wild” flowers or “cultivated” flowers. In such cases flower of the grass will simply be translated as “flowers”; for example, “like flowers he will fade and pass away.”

He will pass away is normally taken to refer to the rich person in the first part of the sentence, even though it is possible also for the word to be translated “it will pass away,” referring to that person’s wealth. A number of commentators and translators, however, while understanding the rich person to be a Christian, have apparently taken he as referring to rich people in general. Note the subtle shift in 1.9-10a: “The brother … the wealthy brother … the rich man” (New English Bible, Bible en français courant), “the [Christian] wealthy member … the rich man” (Revised English Bible), or “But if any of you are rich… Rich people…” (Contemporary English Version). This is possible, and in this case it is the richness of the rich that will pass away, no matter whether the rich is Christian or not. The rich person does not need to be reminded of the certainty of death, but he needs to be made aware of the passing nature of wealth. It is recommended that translators follow the interpretation that James is talking about rich Christians in general. Another way to translate this final sentence is “For the possessions of the rich person will disappear just like the flower of a wild plant.”

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 .

For the sun rises with its scorching heat: James continues to describe in more detail the disappearance of the wild flower. The connective For here has the force of “once” (so New English Bible, Revised English Bible) in the sense of “at the time when,” so the clause may be rendered as “For once [or, when] the sun rises….” It will be noted that all four verbs in this verse, rises, withers, falls, perishes, are in the aorist tense in Greek in a usage that normally indicates things that generally or customarily happen, so most translations in English render them in the present tense. The expression the sun rises refers most probably to the sun at its peak rather than just after coming up over the horizon. Some languages refer to the sun “coming out”; for example, “For when the sun comes out and is at its full height [or, is high in the sky] ….”

The word rendered scorching heat can refer to two things. It may mean the blistering east wind known as the sirocco. It is a phenomenon very common in the eastern Mediterranean region, referring to the burning east wind from the desert blowing day and night. When it blows it is like hot air blowing out of an oven, and it can dry up and kill flowers, herbs, and grass in a few hours. It comes with such devastating effect that it is used figuratively of judgment in Hos 13.15. This sense is adopted by some translations; for example, “scorching wind” (American Standard Version, Moffatt, Phillips), and “the sirocco blows” (Barclay). However, the sirocco has nothing to do with the rising of the sun; it blows continually for three to four days during the transition periods of spring and autumn, no matter whether the sun is out or not. For this reason most commentators and translators have taken the Greek word as having to do with “heat”; for example, “scorching heat” (New American Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible), “blazing heat” (Good News Translation), or “burning heat” (Contemporary English Version). We may also translate the clause as “For when the sun rises high in the sky and sends out its scorching heat [or, heat that burns] ….”

The next three verbs describe the effect of the scorching sun; it withers the grass, makes its flower fall, and destroys its beauty. The word grass is the same as the one used in “the flower of the grass” in verse 10. It is only natural that the translations using “plant” there also use “plant” here (Good News Translation); those that have “field” there also have “field” here (Revised English Bible). The verb rendered withers can also mean “dries up” (so Goodspeed, Knox, New American Bible), describing the process of drying out. Since it follows words like “sun” and “scorching heat,” Good News Translation translates it as “burns,” and Revised English Bible “parches.” The verb rendered falls is sometimes translated as “withers” (Goodspeed, Revised English Bible) or “droops” (New American Bible), perhaps under the influence of the Hebrew word used in Isa 40.7. It basically means “falls out” or “falls off” (Good News Translation), describing the dropping of the petals (compare the New English Bible rendering, “its petals fall”). In some languages it is more natural to express withers the grass; its flower falls as “the grass dries up and the flower withers,” with “withers” suggesting the sense of eventual falling off.

The clause its beauty perishes, literally “the beauty of its face perishes,” is sometimes rendered as “what is lovely to look at” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible) or “the beauty of its appearance” (New American Bible). The addition of “its face” in the Greek text represents a Hebrew idiomatic expression meaning nothing more than “its beauty,” and these words are therefore left untranslated by most translations. The verb perishes can be rendered “is destroyed” (Good News Translation; so also New International Version), “is gone” (Goodspeed), or “vanishes” (New American Bible). It means that none of its beauty is left, and therefore it “is lost for ever” (Revised English Bible).

The point of the comparison with a flower is summed up this way: just as the flower goes quickly, So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits, quickly and completely. So here means “in the same way” (Good News Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version), or “That is how…” (Contemporary English Version). However, picking up the force of the flower vanishing so suddenly and so certainly, it can also be rendered “just this quickly” (Dibelius) or “just as surely” (Phillips).

The rich is best taken here as an indefinite singular of class, referring to any rich person in general, irrespective of whether this person is a Christian or not. The verb fade away is very picturesque; it can be used of the withering or wasting away of plants as well as the death of people. It is safe to assume that here James has death in mind. Some translations have expressed this directly; for example, “fade and die” (Goodspeed), and “perish” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The word rendered pursuits is often used in the literal sense of “walking” or “journeying” (compare the rendering by Barclay, “a journey to decay”), but it is probably best to take it metaphorically as referring to daily conduct or activity, and it can be rendered as “enterprises” (La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “business” (Good News Translation; also New International Version, Revised English Bible). This final clause, then, may also be expressed as “as he conducts his daily affairs,” or “as he does the things he is accustomed to doing every day.”

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:
• When the sun is at its height, its blazing heat burns [or, withers] the plant and its flower falls off, and its beauty is lost [or, destroyed]. In the same way the rich person will die [or, disappear] while he is conducting his daily affairs.

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 .

The form Blessed is the man … is very common in the Old Testament (see Job 5.17; Psa 1.1; 32.2; Pro 8.32, 34). In the New Testament it is used by Jesus in Matt 5.3-11 and Luke 6.20-22. The word Blessed is used to describe an inner quality of true happiness and, in this context, an attitude of resolute courage unaffected by external circumstances, even when they are unfavorable. Here it is a blessing pronounced on those who stand the test of faith. This blessing has much in common with what Jesus has offered to the poor and disadvantaged people in Luke 6.22-23. It will be noted that God is the source of this true happiness. The force of Blessed can be brought out more effectively in some languages as “How happy is the person who…,” “Truly happy are those who…,” or “God will bless those who….” In this context God will be the giver of good things. Even though in Greek the word man is normally used of a male person, here, as in 1.8, it should be understood in a general sense and is therefore best rendered as, for example, “Happy are those who…” (Good News Translation), “Blessed is anyone…” (New Revised Standard Version), or “God will bless the person who….”

This true happiness is offered to the person who endures trial, a saying that echoes Dan 12.12. The noun form of the verb endures has already appeared in verse 3, where it is rendered “steadfastness” by Revised Standard Version and “the ability to endure” by Good News Translation. Endurance is an ability to face all kinds of troubles, difficulties, and sufferings with steadfast courage and faithfulness. It means more than negative endurance of hardships and trials; it is the heroic act of someone who “meets trial with unbreakable spirit” (Barclay), who “remains faithful” (Good News Translation), “remains steadfast” (New English Bible), and “stands firm” (Translator’s New Testament, Jerusalem Bible [Jerusalem Bible]) under trials. (See James 1.3, “steadfastness,” for a further comment on how to translate this term.)

The word trial has also appeared in verse 2 and will be used again in the following verses with a different shade of meaning. As explained above, it can mean either “trial,” referring more to external difficulties and troubles, or “temptation,” referring more to internal impulses that may entice a person to evil and sin, depending on a given context. What sense is intended here is debated. Some translations render it as “temptation,” since this is obviously the meaning intended in the following verse (King James Version, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version). Most others, however, take it to mean “trial,” since the word is used here in connection with the verb endures, and temptation is something to be “resisted,” not “endured” (Ropes). Still others feel that the author is apparently trying to use this word here as a link connecting the thought of “trial” in verse 2 with the theme of “temptation” in the following verses, and have tried to bring this out. They do it either by including both meanings in the translation, “… patiently endures the temptations and trials…” (Phillips), or by suggesting a more inclusive term like “testing” that, in some languages, does include the two components of “trial” and “temptation.” Perhaps this is the better way to translate trial in this context. Alternative ways to render the first sentence, then, may be:
• The person who patiently endures such temptations and difficulties will be fortunate [or, happy];
• The person who passes through such difficulties without failing [or, faltering] will be…;

or, in similar terms to verses 2-3:
• The person who passes through such testing and does not stop believing will be…;
• God will bless the person who does not stop believing when being tested.

In a number of languages it will be helpful to follow Contemporary English Version as a model and use the inclusive pronoun “you” throughout this verse: “God will bless you if you don’t….”

When he has stood the test can be taken as further explanation of the meaning of endures in the previous clause. In Greek it is a participial phrase, literally “because having become tried” or “because having become approved.” It is perhaps best understood here as a time clause, “because when [or, after] he is approved…” or “because having passed the test…,” rather than a conditional clause “because if he is approved….” The goal of enduring external troubles is to pass the test and to be approved as keeping genuine faith (compare New Jerusalem Bible “proven worth”). The noun form “testing” has already been used in verse 2. It is often used of the testing of athletes for fitness in athletic competitions, or of metal cleansed of all impurity. When it is applied to a person, it has a wider sense of proving or testing the genuineness of character. It describes someone who is approved after testing, and can be rendered variously; for example, “succeed in passing such a test” (Good News Translation), “has proved his worth” (Knox), “is of proven worth” (New Jerusalem Bible), “has come through the ordeal” (Barclay), or “who passes through such testing and is victorious.”

A tested person who succeeds in facing trials will receive the crown of life. This means that “he [or, that person] will be given [by God] the crown of life” or, in the active, “God will give him [or, that person] the crown of life.” Notice that the verb is in future tense, indicating that it is a promise for the new age, a reward given to those who pass the test. The expression the crown of life, which occurs also in Rev 2.10, can be understood as a genitive of quality, with life qualifying crown, giving the meaning “a living crown” or “enduring crown.” Or it may be taken as an appositional genitive, with “life” as the content, meaning “the crown that is life.” In this case the crown promised is life itself, although not physical life but life eternal, the salvation to be received in the new age (compare the “crowns” in 2 Tim 4.8; 1 Peter 5.4; Rev 2.10). Most likely the latter is the intended meaning in this context and is accepted by a number of translations; for example, “his prize the gift of life” (New English Bible; similarly Translator’s New Testament, Revised English Bible), or simply “as their reward the life…” (Good News Translation).

In the New Testament the word crown is used of a wreath made of thorns put on the head of Jesus (Matt 27.29; Mark 15.17; John 19.2, 5), or a wreath as a prize for a victor in battle or athletic competition (1 Cor 9.25; 2 Tim 2.5), or a golden crown as a badge of dignity (Rev 4.4, 10; 6.2). In this context it is used figuratively of some special honor, a reward or prize, to be received with joy by faithful Christians who have proved their worth by successfully withstanding trials and temptations. In many languages crown will need to be expressed as “reward.” In such cases the translator may say “God will give him eternal life as a reward” or “He will reward you with a glorious life” (Contemporary English Version). But other languages can retain the symbol of the crown and say “God will give him eternal life, like a crown that people who conquer receive.” Translators should use whatever is the most natural expression in their language.

God is the one who has promised this special prize to those who love him. In the Greek the subject of the promise is not mentioned in the most reliable text. However, it is evident from the context, as well as from the similar usage in 2.5, that the promise of life is given by God, and this is supplied by most translations. Some translations (King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée), following later manuscripts, have supplied “Lord” as the giver of promise, but this will run into the difficulty of having to decide whether it refers to God or Christ, and therefore it is less desirable.

The supreme gift of life is promised to those who love him. This phrase is a conventional description of faithful and true believers in God (see Exo 20.6; Deut 5.10; Psa 145.20; Rom 8.28). Love in its distinctive biblical understanding is more than “like”; it is unconditional, involving more will than emotion. It is always relational and often implies faithfulness and loyalty. So in this context it refers more to a sense of loyalty toward God.

Alternative translation models for this verse may be:
• God will make the person who passes through [or, endures] such difficulties and does not stop believing, happy. Because when he endures this testing and temptation victoriously, God will give him eternal life as a reward. This is what God gives to those people who love him.
• God will bless you if you don’t stop believing when you endure difficulties. Because when you endure this testing and temptation victoriously, God will give you eternal life as a reward, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.

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 .

The writer now makes a shift in his use of the word “test” from an external trial to be endured to internal temptation to be resisted. The keyword in Greek is peirazō. It carries two basic components of meaning. Depending on context it can mean “to test” or “to try,” referring basically to external troubles and trials; or it can mean “to tempt,” referring to internal enticement to sin. In fact trials and temptations are closely related. The experience of trials naturally carries with it the possibility of failures, and if this becomes a daily ordeal and too difficult to bear, it may be the cause of temptations. What James does here is to give a stern warning against those who may blame God with responsibility for temptation.

The author’s love for a play on words is evident in this verse. He uses the various forms of “test” four times, including the adjectival form “without temptation.” Because of the subtle shift, New Jerusalem Bible has brought out the various meanings in progression, starting from verse 12, “trials … put to test … tempting.” Others have included in its first occurrence the two predominant components in the rendering; for example, “… is tried by temptation” (Moffatt), “… are tempted by such trials” (Good News Translation), and “… under trial and temptation” (New English Bible). Most other translations, however, have rendered this simply as “when tempted” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version). In many languages it will be difficult to translate is tempted (Revised Standard Version) or “are tempted by such trials” (Good News Translation) literally, as it will be difficult to think of “trials” tempting anyone. In such cases we may say, for example, “If when a person endures such difficulties and feels that he is being made to do evil,” or “If, when … and has a strong urge to do evil.”

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”: it is most unlikely that the writer would deny that God can put the believers through some sort of hard testing or trial. In fact he refers to God’s testing of Abraham in 2.21. His concern is to deny that God has a hand in inducing people to sin. In the Greek no one is in emphatic position, and so this is brought out in some translations, for example, “Nobody, when he finds himself tempted, should say…” (Knox); “No one, when tempted, should say…” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). The participle tempted can be understood as having a time sense, “when tempted,” or as a conditional “if tempted,” or simply “who is tempted,” without any noticeable difference in the meaning. We may also express this sentence as “that person should not say ‘God is tempting me to do evil.’ ” It is also possible to translate in a similar way to Contemporary English Version and say “Don’t blame God when you are tempted.”

James now goes on to give two reasons why we should not blame God for temptation, as the conjunction for clearly shows. The first relates to the nature of God: God cannot be tempted with evil. Cannot be tempted is one word in Greek, an adjective that appears only here in the Bible. The meaning of this verbal adjective has been interpreted in various ways. Knox apparently has taken it in the active sense of “incapable of tempting…” by rendering the clause as “God may threaten us with evil….” But this makes the second statement he himself tempts no one just unnecessary repetition. Most commentators and translators have therefore understood it in the passive sense of “unable to be tempted.” Some take this passive sense to mean “inexperienced in…,” meaning that God has no contact with evil, and so he cannot be tempted by it. This is apparently the meaning preferred by New English Bible: “God is untouched by evil.” This understanding, however, ignores James’ obvious fondness for the play on words, in this case a sharp contrast between “untemptable” and “tempts.” It is therefore best, with the majority of translators, to take the verbal adjective to mean “God cannot be tempted by evil,” or “God never feels the urge to do evil,” or even “No one can tempt God to do evil.” What James appears to be saying is that God is unable to be tempted to do evil, and therefore he himself tempts no one. This is the second reason why we should not think that God tempts people to sin. God can test people to prove the genuineness of their faith (compare Gen 22.1; 1 Cor 10.13), but he cannot induce people to sin. Another way to say this is “he doesn’t use evil to tempt anyone” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

Alternative translation models for this verse may be:
• If any person passes through such difficulties and feels that he is being induced to do evil, he must not say, “It is God who is tempting me to do evil.” For God himself is never tempted [or, no one tempts him] to do evil, and he himself never tempts anyone.
• Don’t blame God when you [inclusive] are tempted. Evil cannot tempt God, and he doesn’t use evil to tempt anyone.

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 .

The real source of temptation is not God but a person’s own desire. The particle but introduces a contrast: each person is the positive, which contrasts with the negative “no one” in verse 13. It is possible to bring out the contrast by rendering the particle as “No” (Knox, Phillips) or “on the contrary” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

The writer goes on to say each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Reflecting more closely the Greek structure, New Revised Standard Version renders the sentence as “one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it.” In some languages it is better to restructure the sentence as “every person, being lured and enticed by his own desire, falls into temptation” or “On the contrary, every person is induced to commit evil by his own evil desires.” In languages that do not use the passive, we can express this as “for his own evil desires trap [or, lure] him and drag him away.” Grammatically, being lured and enticed can go either with the main verb “is tempted” or with “his own desire.” Although the form of these sentences may be different, the meaning remains the same.

The temptation is due to a person’s own desire. In the New Testament the Greek word desire does have a good sense at times (compare Luke 22.15); more often, as in this context, it carries the bad sense of selfish desire, lust, or passion (compare Rom 7.17-23; Gal 5.16-21; Eph 2.3). A number of translations have made this clear; for example, “evil desire” (Good News Translation, Translator’s New Testament, New International Version), “wrong desire” (New Jerusalem Bible), “lust” (King James Version, New English Bible), “passions” (Knox). The “evil desire” is characterized by two participles in Greek that rhyme, rendered by New Revised Standard Version as “being lured and enticed.” Both terms apparently came from the language of hunting and fishing and are used metaphorically here. The word “lure” suggests a fish enticed to a hook and drawn out from the water, while the word “entice” suggests attracting a prey to a trap by bait. The two words obviously refer to different aspects of the same action. A person’s “evil desire” is like a hook with bait enticing its prey to a trap and then dragging it away. Keeping the images the two participles can be rendered “is lured and dragged away” (Revised English Bible) or “are drawn away and trapped” (Good News Translation). James does not identify the source of the temptation. His purpose may be to pinpoint the source as the evil impulse within a person, thus highlighting our own personal responsibility for sin.

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:
• On the contrary, it is our [inclusive] own evil desires [or, passions] that tempt us to sin [or, do evil]. They trap us and then drag us away.

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 .

James goes on now to portray the effect of “evil desire” by borrowing the language of mothering and childbearing: to conceive, to give birth, to become mature, and to give birth (to death). He uses this to warn the readers of the close connection between “evil desire,” “sin,” and “death.”

Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death: the particle Then introduces the result of the temptation arising from “evil desire.” In Greek we have here two pairs of terms, each consisting of a participle and a verb: “having conceived … gives birth; having become mature … gives birth.” This structure is reflected in the rendering of Revised Standard Version. In some languages it will be more natural to render “Then, when evil desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death.” In many languages it will be possible to keep the vivid language of childbirth; but in some languages it will be more natural to say something like the following: “Then, when evil desire has germinated, it hatches sin; when sin is full-grown….”

The metaphor has conceived suggests the union of “evil desire” and the human will, allowing the evil desire to linger on and grow. Sin in this context means, in effect, the result of a person knowingly allowing his will to be led by evil desire in disobedience to the will of God. Gives birth and brings forth have the same meaning in Greek, both being used for producing offspring. They are obviously stylistic variations, not meant to refer to different kinds of giving birth. The final consequence of sin is death. Paul has a similar thought in Rom 7.7-11. Full-grown in certain languages will be rendered as “controls the heart fully.” Death here, as the opposite of “the crown of life” in verse 12, most likely means more than physical death, pointing to the final verdict of God at the Last Judgment. Brings forth death in some languages will be expressed as “causes the person to die.”

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 .

This verse serves as a transition that links verses 12-15 and verses 17-18. It is sometimes taken as the conclusion of the previous paragraph, as Phillips and New Revised Standard Version have done, but most commentators and translations have taken it as a transition introducing a new argument.

Do not be deceived: it is not the tempter but God who is the giver of all good gifts. James does not want his readers to have any mistake about this. The expression Do not be deceived is often used as a rhetorical device in an argument (compare 1 Cor 6.9; 15.33; Gal 6.7) and can be rendered idiomatically as “Make no mistake about this” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “Do not be fooled” (the Good News Translation rendering of the same expression in 1 Cor 15.33). We may also translate this expression as “I want you to be very sure of this.” The word “this,” of course, will refer to the information in the following verses.

James often addresses the people who will receive the letter as brethren, and occasionally adds an adjective “beloved,” as here and at 1.19 and 2.5. Here brethren is obviously general and inclusive, and therefore may be rendered as “my dear friends” (Revised English Bible), or even better, “my dear brothers and sisters.”

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 .