Section 1:2–11

James encouraged believers to continue to trust God during times of testing

The theme of this section is that it is important for Christians to continue to trust God when going through various kinds of trials or difficulties. These trials are a test of their faith (1:2–4). They need God’s wisdom in order to remain faithful to him, and so they should pray for wisdom (1:5). When they come to God in prayer, they should have an attitude of firm trust in him (1:6–8). Both poverty and wealth test a Christian. They should trust God whether rich or poor and learn to think about poverty and wealth as God does (1:9–11).

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Have faith and wisdom
-or-
When you have trials/tests, you must trust God
-or-
Be joyful when your faith is tested

Paragraph 1:2–4

James taught that Christians should rejoice when persons or situations test their faith. When such tests occur, Christians learn how to persevere, and they become more mature in their faith.

1:2a

Consider it pure joy, my brothers: Here in Greek, James switched from speaking about his readers in the third person to addressing them directly. Make sure it is clear to your readers that the expression my brothers refers to the same people as “the twelve tribes” in 1:1b.

Consider it pure joy: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Consider it pure joy is literally “Consider it all joy” (as in the New American Standard Bible). This means “Regard trials as something to rejoice about” or “Think of trials as occasions for joy.” This refers to joy with no sadness mixed with it at all. James wanted his readers to think about their trials as positive events that God allowed for their good.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

be very happy (God’s Word)
-or-
be glad (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
let it be an opportunity for joy (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

my brothers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as brothers is the term commonly used in the New Testament to refer to other believers in Jesus. This term emphasizes that all believers belonged to God’s family. James used this term to identify with his audience and to show his closeness with all believers. You may have a different term of address in your language which establishes a feeling of closeness with your audience. If so, consider using it here.

Although James used a masculine form, he was not intending to exclude women. In your translation, you should use a word or phrase that does not exclude women.

Some other ways to translate this are:

my fellow believers
-or-
My brothers and sisters (NET Bible)
-or-
my relatives/siblings in Christ
-or-
my Christian friends

James tended to use a term of address (like my brothers) when he was introducing a new topic. Here he introduced the topic of trials. You may have another natural way in your language to introduce a new topic. If you do, you could use it here.

Notice that the Berean Standard Bible places the phrase my brothers in the middle of 1:2. This follows the Greek text. If it is more natural in your language to place it at the beginning or end of the sentence or verse, consider doing that here. For example:

My brothers and sisters, be very happy… (God’s Word)

1:2b

when you encounter trials of many kinds: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as encounter means “experience.” Some other ways to translate this clause are:

whenever you face trials of many kinds (New International Version (2011 Revision))
-or-
when you encounter various trials (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
when all kinds of trials come your way (Good News Translation)

trials of many kinds: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as trials of many kinds refers to various types of difficult situations that occur in a person’s life and test his faith. These can include both external problems like persecution and internal temptations from Satan. The Greek term for trials includes the meanings of both testing and temptation.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

when you^(plur) experience all kinds of problems that test your faith
-or-
when you are tested in different ways (God’s Word)
-or-
when you have many kinds of troubles (New Century Version)

General Comment on 1:2a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in 1:2. For example:

^2aMy brothers and sisters, ^2bwhen you have many kinds of troubles, ^2ayou should be full of joy. (New Century Version)

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:3

This verse describes in more detail how Christians should think about the tests of their faith.

1:3a

because you know that: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because you know introduces the basis for the command in 1:2a. James told his fellow believers to rejoice when they face trials (1:2a–b) because such trials have good effects. Trials develop perseverance in the person who is tested (1:3c).

This word also implies that James’ readers already understood that when their faith was tested, the result would be perseverance. So James was reminding them of this truth.

Some other ways to translate this are:

because you^(plur) realize
-or-
because you understand
-or-
because you are aware
-or-
You know that (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages, it is more natural to put the basis before the command (1:2a). See the General Comment on 1:2–3 at the end of 1:3c for an example.

you: The pronoun you is plural and refers to all the readers.

1:3b

the testing of your faith: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as testing refers to the process of testing to prove that something was genuine. Here the phrase probably refers to persecution that tests whether a person was really loyal to Jesus as God’s Messiah. Because of persecution, some Jewish Christians were tempted to abandon their faith in Christ and return to their Jewish religion.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

when your faith is tested (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
these troubles test your faith (New Century Version)
-or-
when you have difficulties and you^(plur) continue to believe/trust in Jesus/God
-or-
when you are tested and you prove that you are loyal to Jesus

your faith: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faith refers to trusting in Jesus, relying on him, and being committed to him. It is based on the belief that Jesus is the Messiah and that he could save them from their sins.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

your^(plur) trust in Jesus
-or-
your loyalty/commitment to Jesus

If it is more natural to translate this word as a verb, do so. For example:

whether you^(plur) truly trust Jesus
-or-
that you really believe
-or-
if you are loyal to Jesus

1:3c

develops perseverance: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as develops perseverance means “produces the ability to continue to do something despite difficulties.” In this context, it means “produces/increases the ability to continue to believe firmly, even when difficulties arise.”

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

produces endurance (NET Bible)
-or-
you learn to endure (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
teaches you to continue/persist
-or-
teaches you patience

If there is an idiom in your language to express this idea, consider using it here.

General Comment on 1:2–3

In some languages, it is more natural to give the basis for the command (1:3) first, and then give the command itself (1:2). For example:

^3aYou know that ^3bthe testing of your faith ^3cdevelops perseverance. ^2aSo, my brothers, consider it pure joy, ^2bwhen you encounter trials of many kinds.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:4a

Allow perseverance to finish its work: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Allow perseverance to finish its work is a figure of speech called personification. Here, perseverance is told to finish its work as if it were a person. Perseverance finishes its work in the sense that our ability to persevere becomes fully developed in our lives. We develop into the kind of people who habitually persevere/endure our trials. We must develop this characteristic so that we will be mature and complete (1:4b).

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

let endurance have its perfect effect (NET Bible)
-or-
when your endurance is fully developed (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

In some languages, such personification is not possible. Some other ways to translate this phrase without personification are:

you must learn to endure everything (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Learn to be patient during each trial/difficulty
-or-
Continue to believe/trust in God/Jesus during your trials
-or-
Persevere more and more until it becomes a habit

1:4b

so that you may be mature and complete: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces a purpose clause. You should persevere (1:4a) so that you will become a mature, complete believer (1:4b).

Another way to connect 1:4a and 1:4b is:

Then you will be mature and complete (God’s Word)

mature: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mature means to be “mature,” “complete,” or “fully-developed.” Here it refers to a person who is spiritually mature and whose character has completed its full development.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

strong in character (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
fully developed (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
men of mature character (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

complete: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as complete has a similar meaning to the word translated mature (in the note above). This second word refers to a person whose character is entirely what God intended it to be. He is not someone who is mature in some ways but not mature in others.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

whole in all aspects/parts of his character
-or-
your character will be what God desires

In some languages, it is more natural to combine the two ideas of “mature” and “complete.” For example:

completely mature (Contemporary English Version)

1:4c

not lacking anything: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not lacking anything also means “not needing anything.” This means that no good quality is absent from the person’s character. It does not refer to lacking money or material possessions.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

not deficient in any way (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
you will not lack anything in your character
-or-
and will demonstrate/show only good qualities/traits

This phrase expresses the same idea as “complete” in 1:4b. James often restated the same idea in positive and negative form for emphasis. For another example see 1:6b, “believe and not doubt.”

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 1:5–8

In this paragraph, James encouraged his readers to ask God to make them wise. They needed wisdom from God to know what to do while experiencing trials that test their faith. God will answer this prayer if they fully trust God when they pray. But if they do not fully trust him or if they have divided loyalty, God will not answer their prayers.

1:5a

Now if any of you lacks wisdom: This clause is in the form of an “if” statement, but James was not wondering if anyone lacked wisdom. He knew that all his readers needed wisdom in order to be successful in enduring trials (1:2).

If a literal translation of if would make your readers think that James did not know if anyone needed wisdom, you could say:

Those of you who need wisdom
-or-
He who does not have wisdom

lacks: The word lacks here indicates that a person does not have wisdom or does not have enough wisdom. He also realizes that he does not have it.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

do not have
-or-
need (Contemporary English Version)

wisdom: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wisdom refers to understanding what is right and good, and doing it. A person who has wisdom is one who chooses to behave the way God wants. He acts wisely. When he is tempted to behave in the wrong way, he resists.

In some languages, it may be necessary to translate this word as an adjective. For example:

If any of you is not wise enough
-or-
If any of you needs to become a wiser person
-or-
If any of you needs understanding to do what is right and good

1:5b

he should ask God: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he should ask is a command addressed to the person who needs wisdom. In order to obtain wisdom, a person must ask for it.

Some other ways to translate this verb are:

let him ask God (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
must ask God (New Jerusalem Bible)

he: The pronoun he refers to any person who lacks wisdom. This is the person whom James referred to in 1:5a. Depending on how you have translated 1:5a, it may be necessary to use the pronoun “you” “we(incl)” or “they” rather than “he.” For example:

you should ask God (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they should ask God
-or-
we
(incl) should request God

1:5c

There are several ways to connect 1:5c to the rest of 1:5. See the General Comment on 1:5a–d at the end of 1:5d for some examples.

who gives generously to all without finding fault: This clause (The New International Version (2011 Revision) and other English versions translate this Greek participial phrase as a descriptive (or non-restrictive) relative clause.) describes the character of God. He generously gives good gifts to people, and he does not criticize them for asking. James said this to encourage people to ask for wisdom.

In some languages, it will be natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

For God gives generously to all without finding fault.

It may be natural to begin a new sentence here because:

(a) 1:5a–d is a long sentence in both the Greek and the Berean Standard Bible, and it may be natural in your language to divide it into several shorter sentences.

(b) a clause beginning with the word “who” might imply that one God gives generously and another God does not give generously.

gives generously: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as generously means that God gives “without hesitation,” “freely,” and “unconditionally.”

Some other ways to translate this word are:

gives without reserve
-or-
gives bountifully

If your language needs to say what God gives, you can say:

generously gives good things
-or-
abundantly gives what we need

to all: The word all here refers to all people.

without finding fault: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without finding fault means “does not criticize, reproach, or blame.” God does not criticize those who ask him for wisdom, because he is pleased that they have come to him for help.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

without scolding (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
He will not resent your asking. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
won’t correct you for asking (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
He will not reprimand/criticize you when you ask

1:5d

it will be given to him: The word it refers to wisdom. The verb will be given is passive. God is the one who gives wisdom. So there are at least two ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

wisdom will be given/granted him

• Use an active verb. For example:

he will give you wisdom (New Century Version)
-or-
God will cause him to become wise.

In some languages, “wisdom” is not something that “is given.” Some other ways to translate the word given are:

God will teach him to be wise
-or-
God will help him to be wise

General Comment on 1:5a–d

One of the challenges in translating 1:5 is to decide how to connect the “who” clause in 1:5c to the rest of the verse. Some possibilities are:

• Follow the Greek order, but begin a new sentence. For example:

^5aNow if any of you lacks wisdom, ^5bhe should ask God for it. ^5cGod gives generously to all without finding fault. ^5dSo if he asks for wisdom it will be given to him.

• Put 1:5c first. For example:

^5cGod gives generously to all without finding fault. ^5aSo, if you lack wisdom, ^5byou should ask God for some, 5dand he will give it to you.

• Put 1:5c last. For example:

^5aIf any of you need wisdom, ^5byou should ask God, ^5dand it will be given to you. ^5cGod is generous and won’t correct you for asking. (Contemporary English Version)

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:6a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces an additional requirement for a person to receive wisdom. The person who wants to be wise must:

(a) ask God (1:5b)

(b) believe and not doubt (1:6b)

Some other ways to translate this conjunction are:

And
-or-
In addition

This conjunction does not indicate a contrast with 1:5.

he must ask: The words he must ask refer back to “he should ask” in 1:5b. In 1:6a James went on to tell his readers how they should ask for wisdom.

he: The pronoun he refers to the same person as in 1:5a. Consider whether it would be more natural here to use “he,” “they,” “we” or “you.” Refer back to your translation of 1:5 and be consistent.

1:6b

in faith, without doubting: There are two ways to interpret the clause in faith, without doubting:

(1) The person must believe/trust in God and Christ with his whole heart. He must be firmly committed to God and to Jesus as the Messiah. He must not trust anyone else or anything else, and he must not waver in his commitment. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

be sure that your faith is in God alone

(New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(2) The person must believe that God will answer his prayer for wisdom. He must not be uncertain whether God will give him wisdom or not. For example, the New Living Translation, 1996 edition says:

be sure that you really expect him to answer

(New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

Most English versions are ambiguous, and there is good support among the commentators for both interpretations. (Interpretation (1) is supported by Mayor, page 39 (he compares 4:4 and Matthew 6:24); Ropes, page 140; Hiebert, page 84; Davids (1982), page 73; Moo (1985), page 64; Mitton, page 31; Tasker, page 42.Interpretation (2) is supported by Alford, page 277; Huther, page 50; Adamson (1976), pages 57–58; Laws, page 57.) So if you can leave your translation ambiguous here, you should do so. However, if you must make a choice, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Interpretation (1) fits well with the idea of “the testing of your faith” in 1:3b. It also fits well with the description of the person as “double-minded and unstable in all his ways” in 1:8a–b.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

he must firmly trust in God/Jesus and not doubt/waver
-or-
he must trust in God/Jesus without any hesitation

Notice that in faith, without doubting is another positive statement followed by its negative restatement (See the note on “not lacking anything” at 1:4c.). Together they emphasize that complete faith is necessary.

Another way to translate this expression is:

truly believe/trust

without doubting: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as doubting can also be translated as “wavering.” It means “continue to change one’s mind or commitment.” This refers to not being firm and constant in one’s commitment to trust Jesus as God’s Messiah.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

nothing wavering (King James Version)
-or-
not waver in his trust/commitment
-or-
not continually changing his mind about trusting Jesus
-or-
not have two minds/hearts about this

1:6c

because: The conjunction because introduces the basis for James’ command in 1:6b. A person who asks God for something must believe and not doubt/waver (1:6a–b), because he who doubts/wavers is like a wave (1:6c).

In some languages, no conjunction is necessary to introduce the basis for James’ command. For example:

^6aBut when you ask for something, ^6byou must have faith and not doubt. ^6cAnyone who doubts is like… (Contemporary English Version)

he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind: The phrase is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind is a simile. In this simile, a person who doubts/wavers is compared to a wave. They are similar in that neither one is stable. A wave is never stable or still because the wind blows it around in different directions. A person who wavers is not stable because he keeps changing his mind about what he believes.

One way to translate this simile is to make explicit how a person who doubts/wavers is similar to a wave. For example:

a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
the person who wavers is always changing what he believes. He is like a wave that always changes as it is blown and tossed by the wind

a wave of the sea: The phrase a wave of the sea refers to the action of the water in a sea moving up and down, and back and forth in relation to the surface.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

• Describe waves. For example:

the moving of the water on the sea/lake
-or-
the constantly changing water of the sea
-or-
the swells of water in a sea

• In areas where waves and the sea are well-known, the word wave may include the idea of sea. It may not be necessary to add the phrase of the sea. For example:

wave

• In areas where there are no large bodies of water, it may be possible to translate this phrase simply as:

water

blown and tossed by the wind: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blown and tossed are passive. There are at least two ways to translate them:

• Use passive verbs. For example:

blown and tossed around by the wind (NET Bible)

• Use active verbs. For example:

that the wind blows and throws around

In some languages, it will be more natural to use one expression for the two verbs in the phrase blown and tossed by the wind. For example:

that the wind blows in every direction
-or-
The wind causes the waves of the sea to go in every direction
-or-
tossed around in a storm (Contemporary English Version)

blown: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blown refers to the way the wind can move and lift the surface of the water in many different directions.

tossed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tossed is similar in meaning to the word translated as blown. The picture is of the water being thrown into the air by the wind.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:7–8

Some English versions (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and New Century Version) combine 1:7–8. Other English versions follow the Greek more closely and separate the two verses. Compare the two models below.

^7aThat man should not think ^7bhe will receive anything from the Lord; ^8ahe is a double-minded man, ^8bunstable in all he does. (New International Version (2011 Revision))

^7–8Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord. (New Century Version)

You should follow the model that is most natural in your language.

1:7

In Greek, 1:7 begins with a conjunction that the Revised Standard Version translates as “For.” The Berean Standard Bible has left this conjunction implicit. This word introduces a further basis for James’ command in 1:6b that a person should ask in faith without wavering. In other words, when someone asks God for something, he must believe and not waver (1:6c):

(a) because he who wavers is like a wave of the sea (1:6c)

(b) and because that man (who wavers) should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord (1:7a–b).

You should begin this verse in a way that your language uses naturally to introduce an additional basis for a command.

1:7a

That man: The phrase That man refers to a person who doubts. It does not refer to any specific person. The word man refers to a person of either gender, male or female. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

that person (NET Bible)
-or-
a person like that

should not expect: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as expect means “regard something as probably true,” or “think, assume, presume.” So the phrase should not think means that a person “should not assume” that something is true.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

must not expect (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
must not suppose (Revised Standard Version)

1:7b

to receive anything from the Lord: In some languages, it will be more natural to translate this clause by making the Lord the subject. For example:

the Lord will give him anything

the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “a master,” or “one who is in authority.” Here, the Lord refers to God the Father, since God is mentioned in 1:5b. (Also, Jesus generally taught that prayers should be addressed to the Father in his name (John 15:16; also Matthew 6:8, Matthew 7:11, 18:19). An exception is found in John 14:13–14 where Jesus says he will do whatever his disciples ask in his name. ) In some translations, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

he will receive anything from the Lord God
-or-
he will receive anything from God

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:8a

In 1:8a, James continued to describe “the one who doubts/wavers” whom he first mentioned in 1:6b.

He is a double-minded man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as double-minded is literally “double-souled.” This word describes someone who wants to go in two directions at once. He wants to please God, yet at the same time he wants to please the world.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

he has two hearts/minds
-or-
thinking two different things at the same time (New Century Version)
-or-
loyalty is divided between God and the world (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
a person who cannot decide who to obey/follow
-or-
he is not able to make up his mind

If your language has an idiom for this way of thinking, consider if it would be appropriate here.

man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man here normally refers to a male. However, it is not intended to exclude women. In this context, it may be translated as “person.” For example:

person (God’s Word)
-or-
they (New Century Version)

1:8b

unstable in all his ways: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unstable in all his ways means “is not reliable in any of his ways” or “is uncertain in making decisions.” Someone who is unstable in his behavior is someone who starts to do a certain thing but does not continue steadily with the same course of action. As soon as he encounters a difficulty, he changes and does something else. Therefore, people cannot depend on him.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

inconsistent in every activity (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
a person cannot depend on him in anything he does
-or-
vacillates in everything he does

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.