1:17a

Every good and perfect gift: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Every good and perfect gift contains two words for gift. For example:

Every good gift and every perfect gift (English Standard Version)

The two words for “gift” are almost the same in meaning. James was probably quoting a piece of poetry or a proverb that repeated the phrase for emphasis.

There are two ways to translate this phrase:

• Use two different words. For example:

All generous giving and every perfect gift (NET Bible)
-or-
every good gift and every perfect present

• Use one word. For example:

Every good and perfect gift (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
everything that is good and perfect

perfect gift: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perfect refers to something that is complete and full. It does not lack anything. (See the notes on 1:4b and 1:4c.) So a perfect gift is a gift that has no faults in it.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

faultless gift
-or-
everything that is perfect

is from above: The phrase is from above means that every good gift comes from God in heaven. In some languages, it may be necessary to say explicitly that God is the one who gives everything that is good and perfect. For example:

is from God (New Century Version)
-or-
comes from God above
-or-
is given by God

1:17b

the Father of the heavenly lights: The phrase the heavenly lights refers to the lights that are in the heavens: the sun, moon, and stars. God is called the Father of the heavenly lights because he created the heavenly lights. He is also called the Father of the heavenly lights because he has the nature of light, which is a symbol of goodness.

In some languages, Father may be totally unclear here. If that is the case in your language, you could translate it as “Creator.” For example:

God, the Creator of the heavenly lights. (Good News Translation)

the heavenly lights: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heavenly lights here refers to the sun, moon (see Genesis 1:16), and stars. In other words, this word refers to the things in the sky that give light.

Many languages do not have a general word that includes the sun, moon, and stars. If that is the case in your language, you could:

• Mention all three words separately. For example:

the sun, moon, and stars

• Use a phrase. For example:

the things which are in the sky and shine/give light

1:17c

with whom there is no change or shifting shadow: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as change or shifting shadow is a metaphor. James was contrasting the lights in the sky with God. The sun, moon, and stars change their position in the sky and cause shadows that also move. In contrast to this, God never changes. Use a word for shadow that does not only refer to the shadow of people. Also, be careful not to use a word for shadow that refers to the spirit of a person.

Some ways to translate this phrase are:

• Keep the metaphor and make the meaning clear. For example:

who does not vary like the sun, moon, and stars or change like their shadows change
-or-
The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon. (God’s Word)

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

God’s nature/ways never change.

no change or shifting shadow: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as change and shifting are similar in meaning. Both words were commonly used to describe the changing appearance and movement of the sun, moon, and stars. (There is a textual variant here. In place of “with whom there is not change or shadow of turning” some Greek manuscripts read “with whom there is not change which is of a turning/changing shadow.” The variant reading is followed by the Revised English Bible. Some other versions (God’s Word, New Century Version, New International Version (2011 Revision), New Jerusalem Bible) may also be following this reading. However, they may just be combining the two references to change in one expression. The general meaning of 1:17c is similar whichever reading is followed.)

If possible, use a word that you would naturally use to describe the “changes” of the sun, moon, and stars. To make it clear that James is contrasting God to the sun, moon, and stars, you could say:

who, unlike the sun, moon, and stars, does not change or move like shadows.

© 2012 by SIL International®

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.

1:18

In 1:18, James wrote about the particular gift that was foremost in his mind when he said, “Every good gift…comes from above” (1:17). This good gift is that God “chose to give us birth through the word of truth.”

1:18a

He chose to give us birth: This phrase indicates that God planned and decided to give us birth. He did not choose and desire to cause people to sin (see 1:13).

give us birth: There are two ways to interpret the phrase give…birth:

(1) It refers to the new birth that happens when people become followers of Christ. (Huther, page 74; Alford, page 283; Mayor, page 59; Ropes, page 166; Mitton, pages 56–57; Hiebert, pages 116–117; Adamson (1976), pages 76–77; Davids (1982), pages 89–90; Moo (1985), pages 76–77; Martin, pages 39–41.) For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

give us new birth

(New Living Translation, 1996 edition, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It refers to the creation of mankind. (In particular, see F. J. A. Hort.) For example, the Good News Translation says:

he brought us into being

(Good News Translation)

Childbirth is used in the NT as a metaphor for new birth in Christ (1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9), but never for creation. Also the phrase “word of truth” normally refers to the gospel (see the following note on “through the word of truth”). For these reasons, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

In some languages, the metaphor of childbirth (“he gave birth to us”) may be misunderstood. If this is the case in your language, it may be better to say:

he gave us new life

us: James was probably referring to all Christians. See the note on “firstfruits” at the end of this verse.

through the word of truth: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as through the word of truth here means “through the true message.” In the NT this phrase commonly refers to the gospel concerning Jesus Christ. Belief in the gospel is the way that God chose to give us new birth.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by means of the word of truth
-or-
when we believed the true message
-or-
because we believed that his word is true

See the General Comment on 1:18a below for other ways to translate this phrase.

word: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as word means “a message.” It is what someone has said.

General Comment on 1:18a

In some languages, it is more natural to put “through the word of truth” before “He chose to give us birth.” For example:

The word of truth is the way that he chose to give us birth.
-or-
He used/took the word of truth and chose to give us new birth.
-or-
We believe the word of truth saying, “He chose to give us birth.”

1:18b

that: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that introduces God’s purpose in giving people new birth. God gave us new birth (1:18a) so that we might be a kind of firstfruits (1:18b).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

in order that
-or-
for the purpose of

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

He did this so that…

we would be a kind of firstfruits: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a kind of firstfruits is a simile. In this simile, Christians are compared to firstfruits. The word firstfruits refers to the first grains and fruits of the harvest. It also refers to the first-born child and animal. God had asked his people to give their firstfruits to him.

Some ways that Christians and firstfruits are similar are:

• Both are first in time, in contrast to others that will come later. For example:

that we might be…the first specimens of his new creation (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Both are offered to God and so belong to him. As a result, both are more important than other parts of God’s creation. For example:

so that we should have first place among all his creatures (Good News Translation)
-or-
to make us his most important creatures (God’s Word)

Some ways to translate this simile are:

• Make explicit the way that Christians and firstfruits are similar. For example:

that we believers should be the first to come to him just like the firstfruits of the harvest
-or-
that we believers should be the most important of all his creation just like the firstfruits of the harvest

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

to be his own special people (Contemporary English Version)

• Translate the simile literally. For example:

so that we would be like the first fruit/grains of the harvest

If you translate the simile literally, you may want to add a footnote. In the footnote you can explain more fully what firstfruits were and what was being compared in this simile. For example:

The word “firstfruits” refers to the first grains/fruits of the crops that ripen or the firstborn child or animal. God asked the Israelites to give these things to him. Here James compares us Christians to the firstfruits. We are similar in that we are the most important part. We are also the first.

of His creation: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of His creation is literally “of his creatures” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This phrase refers to everything that God created. It does not refer just to living things.

Some ways to translate this phrase are:

of all the things that he created
-or-
from among everything he made

© 2012 by SIL International®

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.

Section 1:19–27

Believers should accept the word of God and obey it

In this section, James emphasized the importance of obeying the word of God. There are three paragraphs: 1:19–21, 1:22–25, and 1:26–27.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Hearing and Doing the Word (English Standard Version)
-or-
Christians must listen to God’s message and obey it (UBS Handbook)

Paragraph 1:19–21

Believers should get rid of sin and obey the word of God.

1:19a

My beloved brothers: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as My beloved brothers refers to believers in Christ. It refers to both men and women. James loved these believers. This phrase also occurs in 1:16. See the note there for translation advice.

James used this phrase to introduce the subject of controlling one’s speech. He also used this phrase to soften his command (“understand this”) and to make it more polite. You may have another way in your language to introduce a change of subject or to soften a command. If you do, you may be able to use it instead of the phrase My beloved brothers.

understand this: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as understand this is literally “know” (as in the Revised Standard Version). (Instead of the verb “know,” some Greek manuscripts have the conjunction that the King James Version translates as “wherefore.” The reading “know” is strongly supported by a variety of manuscripts and the majority of English versions.) James was telling his readers to be attentive to what he was about to write.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

take note of this (New International Version (2011 Revision))
-or-
remember this (God’s Word)
-or-
do not forget

In some languages, it is not necessary to translate this word. For example the Contemporary English Version says:

aMy dear friends, byou should be quick to listen…

1:19b

Everyone should be quick to listen: The phrase quick to listen means:

ready to listen
-or-
eager to listen

In some languages, it may be more natural to use the second person plural “you” in giving a command like this. For example:

you should be quick to listen
-or-
always be willing to listen (New Century Version)

James was mainly referring to listening to “the word of truth” (1:18). But he stated his command in a general way. So if you need to provide an object for the verb listen in your language, use a general word like “talk” or “words.” For example:

Everyone should listen to others’ words/talk
-or-
Everyone should eagerly listen to what is said

1:19c

slow to speak: The phrase slow to speak means “take time to think carefully before speaking.”

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Everyone should think before he speaks
-or-
you should not be quick to speak

This phrase does not refer to speaking slowly rather than quickly.

1:19d

slow to anger: The phrase slow to anger means “do not quickly/easily become angry.”

Some languages have an idiom to describe anger. An example of an idiom in English is:

No one should be hot-tempered
-or-
you should not be quick-tempered

© 2012 by SIL International®

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.

1:20

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason that people should not get angry quickly. People should be slow to become angry (1:19d), for/because man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (1:20). Another way to show this connection is:

I say this because

See also the General Comment on 1:19–20 at the end of 1:20 for an example of another way to begin this verse.

man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the righteousness that God desires is literally “the righteousness of God” (as in the Revised Standard Version). There are at least two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It refers to the righteous behavior/action that God desires from his people. For example, the God’s Word says:

An angry person doesn’t do what God approves of.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), New Century Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It refers to God’s own righteous purposes and justice. Human anger does not achieve the right things that God himself intends to do in his people and in the world. For example, the Revised English Bible says:

For human anger does not promote God’s justice.

(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, 1996 edition, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the great majority of commentators follow this interpretation.

The phrase man’s anger does not bring about… indicates that man’s anger seriously hinders the righteousness of God.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants (New Century Version)
-or-
Anger makes it very hard for you to live the righteous life that God approves.
-or-
an angry person does not do what is right in God’s eyes
-or-
human anger does not help someone do the good/right things that God wants him to do

man’s: The word man here refers to any human being. It refers to both men and women. It means a human being in contrast to God. Another way to translate this word is:

human

anger: In some languages, it may be necessary to express anger as a verb or verb phrase. For example:

when people are angry….
-or-
if you become angry….
-or-
being angry….

General Comment on 1:19–20

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 1:19–20 and put the reason in 1:20 before the result in 1:19b–d. For example:

^19aMy beloved brothers, understand this: ²⁰man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. ^19bThat is why everyone should be quick to listen, ^19cslow to speak ^19dand slow to anger.

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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.

1:21a

Therefore: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces a command. Based on the principle that he had just mentioned (1:20), James commanded his hearers to do two things:

(a) renounce their wickedness, and

(b) accept the word of God.

Another way to translate this word is:

So (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

get rid of all moral filth: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as get rid of here means “remove” or “separate yourself from.”

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

put away all filth (NET Bible)
-or-
remove everything that causes you to be morally dirty
-or-
You must stop doing anything immoral (Contemporary English Version)

all moral filth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as moral filth refers to dirtiness or pollution. Here it is used figuratively to refer to moral uncleanness or wickedness.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

every evil thing (New Century Version)
-or-
everything that is bad

1:21b

every expression of evil: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as expression of evil is literally “wickedness” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This is a second thing that James wanted his readers to get rid of. It means approximately the same as “moral filth” in 1:21a. For a suggestion on how to combine 1:21a–b, see the General Comment on 1:21a–b following this note.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as every expression means “abundance,” “enormous quantity,” or “extreme amount” (of evil).

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the enormous amount of wicked things that you do
-or-
the evil things that you do so frequently
-or-
all the wicked things you do (God’s Word)

General Comment on 1:21a–b

Verse 1:21a and 1:21b say the same thing with different words. In some languages, it will be more natural to combine the two parts. For example:

So stop doing all kinds of evil things that remain in your lives.

1:21c

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

Instead, be humble and accept the message (Contemporary English Version)

humbly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as humbly refers to being submissive and willing to learn. It is the opposite of being proud and angry.

In some languages, it may be natural to translate this word as a verb or verb phrase. For example:

be humble (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
humble yourselves

accept: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as accept means “welcome” or “receive.” In this context it refers to paying attention to the gospel and obeying it. Some ways to translate this word are:

receive
-or-
honor
-or-
obey

the word planted in you: The phrase the word planted in you is a metaphor. In this metaphor, preaching the word of God is compared to planting seed in the soil. One way that they are similar is that both activities put/insert something (word – seed) into something else (our hearts – soil). When the word/gospel was preached, it was planted or “put” in our hearts.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

the word that he plants in your hearts (Good News Translation)

• Translate the meaning without using the metaphor. For example:

the word that God has placed in you (God’s Word)
-or-
the message that God has caused you to know
-or-
the gospel that you heard and know

the word: The phrase the word refers to the gospel.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the message (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the good news

This phrase also occurs in 1:18a.

planted: The verb planted is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

the message that is planted in you (Contemporary English Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

the word God has planted in your hearts (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
the word that God has placed in you (God’s Word)

1:21d

which can save your souls: The word which refers back to the word/message in 1:21c. This message is able to save us in the sense that it tells us about Jesus who can save us.

In some languages, it would be better to translate this as a clause beginning with “and” rather than which. For example:

the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls (New Jerusalem Bible)

save: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save means “to rescue from danger or trouble.” In this context, it refers to rescuing someone from the spiritual dangers of sin and from death. Spiritual death is the punishment that results from sinning.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit what the person was saved from. For example:

which can save you from the results of sin.
-or-
which can rescue you from punishment for sin.

your souls: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your souls refers to the whole person. That is why many versions translate it simply as you.

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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 1:22–25

Believers must not forget the word of God that they had heard. They must do/obey it.

1:22

In 1:22, there are three clauses in Greek. The Berean Standard Bible follows the Greek order but some other English versions change the Greek order of these clauses. Compare the order of the clauses in the Berean Standard Bible and New International Version (2011 Revision) below.

^22aBe doers of the word, ^22band not hearers only, ^22c…deceiving yourselves. (Berean Standard Bible)

^22bDo not merely listen to the word, ^22cand so deceive yourselves. ^22aDo what it says. (New International Version (2011 Revision))

You should arrange the clauses in 1:22 in a way that is natural in your language. See the General Comment at the end of 1:22c for more discussion on reordering these clauses.

In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that means “But” in some contexts. Some English versions have translated it as “But” here. However, in this context, it is not indicating a contrast. It simply introduces the next point about the “word.” So, in many languages, no conjunction is necessary here.

1:22a

Be doers of the word: The clause Be doers of the word refers to those who always do what God’s word tells them to do. Such people put the word’s teaching into practice and regularly obey its commands.

Translate this clause in such a way that the action is habitual, repeated action.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Do what it says (New International Version (2011 Revision))
-or-
put it into practice (Good News Translation)
-or-
obey God’s message (Contemporary English Version)

the word: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the word refers to the gospel.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

God’s word (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
God’s message

The same word occurs in 1:18a and 1:21c.

1:22b

and not hearers only: The clause and not hearers only indicates that it is not enough to just listen to someone preaching or reading from the word of God.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Do not only be hearers of the word
-or-
don’t just listen to God’s word (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
You must do more than just hear God’s word/message
-or-
Do not limit yourselves to just hearing the gospel

Be careful not to translate this in a way that implies that it is not good to listen to the word.

not hearers only: The phrase hearers only refers to those who only hear the gospel teaching. They never do what it tells them to do.

In many languages, the usual word for “hear” includes the idea of obeying. If this is so in your language, be careful here to use an expression that describes hearing without obeying.

1:22c

Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deceiving yourselves can also be translated as “fool yourselves.” It refers to wrong thinking that leads a person astray. Anyone who just listens to the message of the gospel but does not obey its commands is mistaken if he thinks that God is pleased.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

or you will fool yourselves (God’s Word)
-or-
and lie to yourselves

General Comment on 1:22a–c

In Greek and the Berean Standard Bible, a clause with a positive command (“Be doers of the word”) comes first. This is followed by a clause with a negative command (“do not only be hearers”). The New International Version (2011 Revision) reverses the order of the positive and negative commands. Use the order that is most natural in your language.

Another possible way to translate the verse is:

He who hears the word and does not do what it says is deceiving himself. Therefore you should be people who both hear and do, not people who only hear.

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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.

1:23a–24b

This is a type of comparison called a simile. In this simile, a man who listens to the word (in 1:23a–b) is compared to a man who looks at his face in a mirror (in 1:23c–24b). Some ways that they are similar are that:

(a) they both realize something about themselves that they ought to act on

(b) they carelessly neglect to do anything about it

Part of what is similar is implied but not stated in this comparison. If what is similar is not clear, then it may be necessary to include some of the implied information in your translation. For example:

^23aFor anyone who hears the word ^23bbut does not carry it out ^23cis like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ^24aand after observing something he should do, ^24bgoes away and immediately forgets/neglects to do anything about it.

1:23a–b

In Greek and the Berean Standard Bible, this verse begins with a conjunction that means “for” or “because.” This conjunction introduces the basis for James’ command in 1:22. Most English versions do not translate this conjunction. Consider whether you need a conjunction or phrase in your language to make the relationship between 1:22 and 1:23 clear.

For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out: In Greek, this clause is literally, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer.” Translate “hearer” and “doer” in the same way in which you translated them in 1:22.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says (God’s Word)
-or-
If you hear the message and don’t obey it (Contemporary English Version)

1:23c

is like: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is like means “to be similar to.” The person in 1:23a–b is compared to the person in 1:23c–24b.

a man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man here means “someone.” It normally refers to a male, but in this context the word introduces a general statement that is true of either a man or a woman (as in 1:12a).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

someone (NET Bible)
-or-
a person (God’s Word)

who looks at his face in a mirror: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as looks at means “to look at something so as to notice what it is like.” The person does not just give a quick glance at his image in the mirror. He looks carefully enough to observe what his face is like. (See the discussion in Adamson (1989), page 407.)

Some other ways to translate this are:

carefully looks at himself in a mirror
-or-
observes his reflection

his face: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as his face is literally “the face of his existence/origin.” It apparently means his physical face, his face in its natural state. For example:

his natural face (Revised Standard Version)

This perhaps indicates that his face was dirty or he needed to trim his beard, or the woman needed to adjust her make-up. The person saw that he needed to correct something about his appearance but was foolish and did nothing about it (1:24a–b).

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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.

1:24a

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and here introduces more details about 1:23c. The person not only looks at himself, he goes away and forgets what he looks like.

Some English versions translate this word as “for.” But do not translate this verse as if it were the reason for 1:23. It further explains 1:23, but it is not a reason.

after observing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as after observing is from the same Greek word as the word translated “looks at” in 1:23c. In some languages, it may be unnatural or unnecessary to repeat the word here. In these languages, it may be sufficient to translate this as:

after that
-or-
having done that
-or-
then

1:24b

goes away: Some other ways to translate goes away are:

leaves
-or-
walks away

immediately: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as immediately can also be translated as:

quickly (New Century Version)
-or-
soon
-or-
it is not long before

forgets what he looks like: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as forgets in this context means “neglects to do something about” what he has seen and quickly forgets it. He has an attitude of carelessness. He does not consider it important for him to do anything about what he has observed. See the note about the simile in 1:23a–24b.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

forgets what he saw
-or-
does nothing to fix the problem he saw and soon forgets about it

© 2012 by SIL International®

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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.