SIL Translator’s Notes on James 2012 – Page 6

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:15

2:15a

Suppose: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Suppose is literally “If” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This word introduces an example of faith without good deeds. Consider how your language naturally introduces an example. For example:

For example
-or-
For instance
-or-
If it happens

a brother or sister: The phrase a brother or sister refers to a male or female fellow-believer. Notice that James explicitly includes women here.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

A brother or sister in Christ (New Century Version)
-or-
a believer, whether a man or a woman (God’s Word)

2:15b

without clothes and daily food: The phrase daily food means that the person did not have enough food even for that day. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

needs…food (God’s Word)
-or-
lacks daily food (NET Bible)
-or-
with not enough food for the day (Revised English Bible)
-or-
don’t have enough to eat (Good News Translation)

without clothes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without clothes here means “does not have enough clothes to keep him warm.”

In the Bible lands, it is often cold, especially at night, and one of the chief functions of a person’s clothes is to keep him warm. (See Exodus 22:26–27). It is clear from the phrase “keep warm” in 2:16 that this is what James has in mind.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

needs clothes (God’s Word)
-or-
is poorly clothed (NET Bible)
-or-
does not have enough clothes to keep warm

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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.

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:16

2:16a

one of you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as one of you is literally “any of you(plur).” It refers to any person who claimed to be a Christian among those to whom James wrote this letter.

him: The Greek pronoun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as him is literally “them.” It refers to both men and women. Use whatever is natural in your language to refer to the “brother or sister” in Christ of 2:15a.

2:16b

Go in peace: The phrase Go in peace was a common expression among Jews to say “goodbye” to a person who was leaving. It was a blessing of peace on the person who was leaving.

You should translate this phrase with a common expression that is used in your language when someone leaves. If possible, the expression should include words that wish the person well or that send him off with God’s blessing. For example:

God bless you (Good News Translation)
-or-
good-bye and God bless you (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
Good-bye and have a good day (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

2:16c

stay warm and well fed: This clause is a wish (or prayer) that the person may somehow become warm and get enough to eat. It is not a piece of good advice reminding the person to be sensible and look after himself properly.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat (New Century Version)
-or-
May you be warm enough and have enough food to eat

2:16d

but does not provide for his physical needs: The Greek is literally “but you^(plur) do not give to them the needed things of the body.” Notice that the pronouns “you” and “them” are both plural in Greek. However, in some languages, singular pronouns are more natural. This is what the Berean Standard Bible does. The pronouns you use here should be consistent with those you used in 2:16a.

The phrase his physical needs refers to the food and clothing that the person needs. The believer wishes the person well but does not give the person what he needs to keep warm or to end his hunger.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

but you do not give what that person needs (New Century Version)
-or-
but does nothing to supply their bodily needs (Revised English Bible)
-or-
but he does not give him clothing to wear and does not give him anything to eat

2:16e

what good is that?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that mere talk and good wishes were no help at all. These same words occur in 2:14a.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

…what good does it do? (God’s Word)
-or-
Will that help him?
-or-
That will not help him, right?

• As a statement. For example:

It does no good at all.
-or-
…your words are worth nothing. (New Century Version)
-or-
You will certainly not help that person just by saying those words.

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

General Comment on 2:16a–e

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:16e at the beginning of the verse. For example:

^16eWhat good is it ^16aif one of you tells him, ^16b“Go in peace; ^16cstay warm and well fed,” ^16dbut does not provide for his physical needs?

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:17

2:17

In 2:17, James stated the lesson he was trying to teach in the illustration in 2:15–16.

2:17a

So too: The phrase So too introduces the general principle that 2:16 illustrates. Words of greeting are of no help to a cold and hungry man unless we also give him what he needs. So also, our faith is of no value unless we also do good deeds for God.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

So also (NET Bible)
-or-
Even so (King James Version)
-or-
So it is with faith (Good News Translation)
-or-
Likewise

faith by itself: The word faith in this context refers to the act of trusting in or relying on Jesus Christ (as in 2:14b). The phrase by itself means “when faith is alone.” This indicates that a person only believes, but he has no deeds to accompany his belief.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

faith alone
-or-
only/just trusting

In some languages, it is more natural to use a verb instead of the noun faith. For example:

a person just trusts
-or-
you only believe in Jesus

2:17b

if it does not result in action: This phrase means that the person does not also do good deeds that show that he believes in Jesus. Instead, he behaves the same way as people who do not believe in Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

if that faith does not cause him to do any good deeds
-or-
if he does not also do things which show that his faith/trust is genuine
-or-
if he fails to show that he believes by what he does

2:17c

is dead: The phrase is dead is a metaphor. James meant that the person’s faith had no power to do anything and so was of no use. (Compare 2:14.) There are several ways to translate this phrase:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

is dead (NET Bible)
-or-
has no life in it

• Use a simile. For example:

is as if dead
-or-
is like a dead thing

• Use a simile with a word that explains the metaphor. For example:

is powerless as if dead
-or-
is as useless as a dead thing

• Use a word or phrase that explains the metaphor. For example:

is powerless
-or-
is useless
-or-
is unable to do anything
-or-
he does not truly trust in God

General Comment on 2:17a–c

In some languages, it may be natural to change the order of the clauses in 2:17. For example:

^17aIn the same way, faith by itself ^17cis dead ^17bif it doesn’t cause you to do any good things. (God’s Word)

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:18

Paragraph 2:18–19

In this paragraph, James said that we show that we have true faith by the way we behave.

2:18

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.”: There are a number of difficult issues in this verse. Some of the difficulties are:

(a) It is not clear whom the word someone refers to.

(b) It is not clear whom the pronouns You and I refer to.

(c) It is not clear where the quotation ends. This is because there are no quotation marks in ancient Greek manuscripts to indicate which words are direct speech.

Many interpretations have been proposed to try and overcome these difficulties. (Three commentaries have done a good job of summarizing (and critiquing) the various interpretations: Dibelius (pages 149–151, 154–158), Ropes (pages 211–214) and McCartney (pages 157–160). Ropes gives six options and McCartney lists eight (while leaving out the option put forward by Huther (pages 89–92) and Lenski, (pages 581–582) which is described in footnote 52).) The two interpretations that most English versions follow are:

(1) The word someone refers to an imaginary opponent of James.

The pronouns You and I in the quotation are a way to say that some people have faith; other people do good deeds. These pronouns do not refer specifically to James, to James’ audience or to the imaginary opponent.

The quotation includes only the words “You have faith; I have deeds.”

According to this interpretation, the imaginary opponent was speaking to James. He implied that (a) faith alone can save a person and (b) works alone can also save a person.

For example, the Revised English Bible says:

But someone may say: ‘One chooses faith, another action.’ To which I reply: ‘Show me this faith you speak of with no actions to prove it, while I by my actions will prove to you my faith.’

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version (2011 Revision), English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New Century Version) (This interpretation was defended by Ropes, pages 208–214; and is accepted by Davids (1982), pages 123–125; Laws, pages 122–124; Mitton, page 109; Moo (1985), page 105.)

(2) The word someone refers to a person who agrees with James.

The pronoun I refers to the person who agrees with James. The pronoun You refers to an imaginary opponent.

The quotation includes all of 2:18b–e.

According to this interpretation, the person who agrees with James was speaking to an imaginary opponent. This opponent claimed to have faith but did not have good deeds. The words of the person who agrees with James were somewhat ironic. That is, he did not believe the imaginary opponent had true faith: “You have faith, do you?”

For example, the New American Standard Bible says:

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

(New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English) (Alford, pages 298–299; Mayor, pages 95–96; Adamson (1976), pages 124–125.)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation is supported by the majority of English versions and a number of commentators.

2:18a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces a strong contrast. The contrast is between James’ statement in 2:17 that faith without deeds is dead and the argument that faith alone is enough.

someone will say: The phrase someone will say introduces a statement that an imaginary opponent might say to James. The statement in 2:18b–c is a type of debate or argument. One way to introduce this argument more clearly is to use a more specific verb. For example:

someone will argue
-or-
someone will debate me saying
-or-
Suppose someone disagrees and says

2:18b–c

You have faith and I have deeds: As mentioned above under interpretation (1), the pronouns You and I are a way to say that some people have faith, other people do good deeds. These pronouns do not refer specifically to James, to James’ audience or to the imaginary opponent.

Consider how speakers in your culture create imaginary persons as examples when they discuss a topic seriously. You may choose to use those types of references here. Also consider if it may be best to replace the pronouns You and I with more general words. For example:

“One person has faith, another has actions.” (Good News Translation)
-or-
“Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
“One person trusts Jesus, another person does good deeds.”

The imaginary opponent was arguing that there are different ways to be saved. He said that some are saved because of their faith. Others are saved because of their good deeds. In some languages, it may be good to make this explicit. For example:

^18aBut someone will argue ^18bthat there are different ways in which people are saved. He may say “One person has faith, ^18canother has good deeds. Either one of these is enough.”
-or-
^18aBut someone will disagree saying ^18bthat people do not all follow God in the same way. He may say “One person has faith, ^18canother has good deeds.”
-or-
^18b“Some have faith; ^18cothers have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” (NET Bible note)

2:18d–e

Verse 2:18d–e is James’ reply to the imaginary opponent of 2:18b–c. In some languages, it may be necessary to make it clear that James is now speaking for himself. One way to do this is to begin 2:18d with a short phrase. For example:

My answer is (Good News Translation)
-or-
But I say (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
But I, James, say

2:18d

Show me your faith without deeds: This clause challenges someone to prove that he has true faith when he does not have good deeds to support his claim.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Show me that you really believe/trust in Jesus, even when you do no good deeds.
-or-
Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I challenge you to prove to me that you have faith when you have no deeds.

In some languages, it may be natural to translate this clause as a rhetorical question. For example:

“How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?” (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
If you believe only, but there are no good deeds, how will you show me that you really believe in Jesus?

2:18e

and I will show you my faith by my deeds: This clause indicates that good deeds will prove that a person has true faith. Faith and good deeds always go together.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I will show you that I really believe/trust in Jesus Christ by the good deeds I do.
-or-
I will use my good deeds to prove my faith to you.
-or-
What I do will show you that I really have faith.

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:19

2:19

In 2:19, James gave more evidence to convince his readers that true faith is a matter of both faith and good deeds. People are wrong if they think that it is enough just to believe true things about God without doing good deeds.

2:19a

You believe that God is one: In this verse, James talked about a second meaning of the word believe. This type of belief is different than the type of belief that he talked about in previous verses. The two types of belief are:

(a) The type of belief that people have when they trust in God and entrust themselves to Jesus, the Messiah. This type of belief results in salvation. This is the type of belief that James talked about in 2:14–18 and 2:20–26.

(b) The type of “belief” that people have when they just believe something about God. This type of belief does not have any good works. This type of belief does not result in salvation. The demons have this same type of belief. This is the type of belief that James talked about here in 2:19. It means “accept that a certain statement is true.” It refers specifically to the statement God is one.

James used the same Greek word to talk about these two types of belief. If your language uses two different terms for these two meanings of “believe/faith,” it may be helpful to indicate how they are related. See the General Comment on 2:19a–d at the end of 2:19d for some suggestions of how to do this.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

You accept as true that there is one God
-or-
You affirm that there is one God
-or-
You are convinced that there is one God

You: In this verse, James continued to address the person who disagreed with him. So in Greek, the pronoun You is singular. However, James was also writing to anyone who believed that it was possible to have faith without good deeds. So, in some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural form of “you” here.

God is one: The Jewish belief that God is one was the most basic belief of all Jews. (This belief is expressed in Deuteronomy 6:4.) This belief was in contrast to belief in many gods. (There is a textual issue here. There are a number of textual variants, but the main point of difference is whether the definite article appears with “God” Some commentators (Moo (2000), page 130; Martin, page 77; Hiebert, page 186, for example) feel “God” with the article focuses on the unity of God (“God is one”) while “God” without the article would be a statement of monotheism (“there is one God”). Other commentators (Davids (1982), page 125; Lenski, page 584; Huther, page 92, Translator’s Handbook, page 89) suggest that the meaning of either reading would be the same – probably understood as an affirmation of monotheism. Independent of which textual variant is chosen (or whether one sees all variants as essentially expressing the same meaning), there is some question of whether this is a statement about the unity of God or his uniqueness (a statement of monotheism). The discussion in commentaries is somewhat confusing because some writers seem to use unity to mean uniqueness. That is, they state that this was about the unity of God, but then discuss unity in the sense of monotheism. Most English versions translate this as a statement of monotheism (as the New International Version (2011 Revision) does). For the versions that translate it as “God is one” (Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible), it is not certain if they intend this to express the unity of God or his uniqueness (monotheism). In considering the context in which Deuteronomy 6:4 was spoken and the context of the book of James, it seems much more likely that this expresses monotheism (in contrast to belief in many gods) than it does the unity of God (in contrast to his fragmentation or division into three persons). In the Old Testament period (the context of Deuteronomy 6:4), the unity of God would have been assumed. And the trinitarian understanding of God existing in three persons was not well enough developed in James’ day to think that God’s unity (though existing in three persons) was in view.) This clause may be translated as:

there is only one God (Contemporary English Version)

2:19b

Good for you!: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Good for you is literally “You do well” (as in the Revised Standard Version). James was not completely praising his readers for believing that there is only one God. His point was that such faith is good, but it is not good enough. Even the demons believe that. If their faith was no more than empty words without deeds, it was dead/useless.

Some ways to translate this phrase and indicate that such faith is not sufficient are:

• Put the implied information after 2:19b. For example:

That’s good but not enough
-or-
You do well, but it is not sufficient by/in itself

• Put the implied information after the word shudder in 2:19d. For example:

Good! 19cBut even the demons believe that— 19dand shudder. So such faith is not enough/sufficient.

2:19c

Even: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Even here indicates:

(a) something unexpected. It is not likely that demons would be described as believing in God. But even they believe. For example:

Even demons believe this (Contemporary English Version)

(b) an addition. James’ readers believed that there is one God. Demons also believe the same thing. For example:

The demons also believe (Good News Translation)

If possible, translate this word with a word that can include both meanings. If you must make a choice, choose meaning (a).

demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demons refers to spirits that are evil and can control people’s actions. The word demons refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “evil spirits” and “unclean spirits.”

Some ways to translate demons are:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people.

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. These spirits should be ones that do evil things. Do not use a term that refers to spirits of dead people.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil/bad spirits
-or-
unclean spirits
-or-
spirits who oppose God

Be sure that an expression like “unclean spirits” does not imply that the spirits are literally dirty.

believe that: The word that refers to 2:19a. It means “that there is only one God.” Even demons believe that there is only one God.

Another way to translate this phrase is:

even the demons have the same belief (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
even demons believe like that
-or-
even demons believe that there is one God

believe: Here the word believe has the same meaning as believe in 2:19a. It means to accept that something is true.

2:19d

shudder: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as shudder means “shake” or “tremble.” Here it means to shake or tremble because of fear. Some ways to translate this word are:

shake with fear (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
tremble in fear of him
-or-
shake with horror because they know that God will judge them

General Comment on 2:19a–d

James used the same Greek word to talk about two types of belief. Some languages use two different terms to translate these two meanings of “believe.” In such languages, it may be helpful to use both terms in 2:19 to show how they are related. For example:

You accept as true that there is one God. Good! But if that is all you mean when you say that you are trusting God, then you are just like the demons. Even they accept this as true, and it makes them shudder.
-or-
It is good that you are convinced that there is only one God. But the kind of in God that leads to salvation is more than that. Even the demons are convinced that there is only one God. They will certainly not be saved. Instead, thinking about this makes them shake with fear.

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:20

Paragraph 2:20–26

In this paragraph, James gave two examples to show his readers that faith without deeds is useless. He used the examples of Abraham and Rahab from the Old Testament. He argued that it was because of their deeds that both Abraham and Rahab were declared righteous by God.

Throughout section 2:14–26, James was contrasting faith without deeds (for example, 2:14, 2:17, 2:18) with faith demonstrated by deeds (2:18). In this paragraph, when James said that Abraham was declared to be righteous “by deeds,” it does not mean by deeds alone. It is implied that Abraham had faith and that this faith was demonstrated by deeds. You may want to put some of this information in the translation or in a footnote. Some suggestions are in the notes on “for what he did” (2:21b) and “by his deeds” (2:24b).

2:20

O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?: This is a rhetorical question. It has two functions. First, it is a rebuke. James was rebuking anyone who thought that it was possible to have true faith without doing good deeds. The second function of this rhetorical question is to introduce the examples that James was about to give from the Old Testament (2:21–25).

Some ways to translate this rebuke are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? (God’s Word)

• As a statement. For example:

You fool! Surely you do not need me to show you that faith without good deeds is worthless.
-or-
You fool! I will prove/show to you that faith without good deeds is useless. Here are two examples.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.

2:20a

O foolish man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foolish literally means “empty.” Here it is used figuratively to describe a person who has “empty” thoughts. In other words, it is a person who does not think wisely and correctly. This person could be a man or a woman.

In this verse, James rebuked the person who disagreed with him. So in Greek, the pronoun man is singular. However, James was also rebuking anyone who believed that it was possible to have faith without good deeds. So, in some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural form “men” or “people” here.

Use a term that is natural in your language for a mild rebuke.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

You stupid person
-or-
You crazy/mad people
-or-
You(sing) are not thinking carefully
-or-
You^(plur) are not being wise
-or-
Do you still not understand?

do you want evidence: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do you want evidence is literally “do you want to know?” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Do you want to be shown (Good News Translation)
-or-
Must you be shown (New Century Version)
-or-
Do you have to be told (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Do I need to show/tell you
-or-
Can’t you see (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

2:20b

faith without deeds is worthless: In Greek, the words faith and deeds are nouns. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate these nouns as verbs. For example:

If you believe in Jesus but do no good to show it, what use is that?
-or-
it’s useless to believe if you do not do any good to prove it.

deeds: The word deeds is the same word that occurs in 2:14c.

worthless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worthless here means “without results,” or “unproductive.” (The Greek manuscript copies do not all agree at this point. The modern English versions translate a word that means useless, while King James Version and footnotes in Good News Translation and New International Version (2011 Revision) follow one that means “dead.” There is not much difference in the meaning, but it is recommended that you follow the UBS Handbook Greek text and the reading “useless.”) Some other ways to translate this word are:

futile (Revised English Bible)
-or-
worth nothing (New Century Version)
-or-
is of no value/use

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:21

2:21

In 2:21, James gave the first of two examples from the Old Testament of someone whom God declared to be righteous. This example is about Abraham.

Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that Abraham was definitely justified or “considered righteous” (New International Version (2011 Revision)) for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

• As a statement. For example:

Certainly Abraham, our ancestor, was declared right with God by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

• As a question and a statement. For example:

Consider our ancestor Abraham. Did not God consider him righteous when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
-or-
How was our ancestor Abraham declared right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

2:21a

our father Abraham: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as our father Abraham is literally “Abraham our father” (as in the Revised Standard Version). Abraham had lived many generations before James, and all Jews had descended from Abraham. So use a word that indicates an ancestor who was the beginning of a language group or a tribe.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

our forefather Abraham
-or-
Abraham our long ago ancestor

2:21b

justified by what he did: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as justified by what he did is translated by many English versions as “justified by works.” Before you translate this phrase, there are at least two issues to consider.

Issue 1: Which part of the meaning of the verb is the focus

The verb “justified” primarily means “declared innocent.” This word is used in a court or judgment setting. A judge examines the evidence and may then declare that an accused person is “innocent,” “just” or “righteous.” This is equal to saying, “Not guilty.”

Commentaries and English versions focus on different aspects of this word:

(a) Some focus on the verdict or declaration. God considered/declared Abraham to be righteous. God did this because Abraham’s deeds proved that he was righteous. For example:

our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

(b) Others focus on the evidence and what it showed. Abraham’s deeds showed/proved that he was righteous. For example:

our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(c) Still others focus on the accused person’s new condition after the verdict. God caused Abraham to be righteous. For example:

Abraham, our ancestor, was made right with God by what he did…. (New Century Version)

Most commentaries favor (a). So it may be better to translate in a way that follows (a). (Focus (c) is quite different and could be considered a different interpretation.)

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Was not our ancestor Abraham declared righteous because of what he did…?
-or-
Did not God consider our ancestor Abraham to be just/straight because of his good deeds…?
-or-
It was certainly because of what our ancestor Abraham did that God declared that he was a righteous/good person….

Issue 2: How to translate the passive verb

The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as justified is a passive verb. Some ways to translate this verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

Was not our ancestor Abraham declared right with God because of what he did…?
-or-
It was certainly because of our ancestor Abraham’s good deeds that he was declared righteous.

• As an active verb. God was the one who declared Abraham righteous. For example:

Was it not because of what our ancestor Abraham did that God declared him to be righteous…?
-or-
God considered Abraham to be righteous/just because of his good deeds

by what he did: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by what he did is literally “by works/deeds/actions.” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by works (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
as a result of what he did (God’s Word)
-or-
because of his good deeds

Throughout 2:14–26, James compared faith with works to faith without works. He did not compare faith to works. When he said by what he did, this implies “by faith together with what he did.” Some ways to make this clear are:

• Include the implied information in your translation. For example:

because of his faith plus works
-or-
because of his deeds that showed that he had faith
-or-
because of the kind of faith that was proven by his good deeds

• Include a footnote. For example:

In James 2:14–26, James compared faith with deeds to faith alone, that is, faith without deeds. When James wrote that Abraham was declared righteous because of his deeds, he meant “because of his faith with deeds.” Abraham’s deeds demonstrated that he had the kind of faith that can save.

General Comment on 2:21a–b

In Greek, the order of words shows that James was emphasizing the phrase by what he did. Consider if there is a way in your language to emphasize these words. For example:

Was it not by his action,…that our father Abraham was justified? (Revised English Bible)

2:21c

when he offered his son Isaac on the altar: The clause when he offered his son Isaac on the altar means that Abraham put Isaac on an altar and was willing to sacrifice him. But God stopped him. Abraham did not actually kill Isaac.

If a literal translation of this clause will cause people to think that Abraham really did kill Isaac, you should make some adjustments. For example:

when he laid his son Isaac on top of the altar in order to offer him to God

It may also be helpful to readers who do not know the story to make it clear that Abraham was not acting on his own initiative. He was obeying God’s command. This can be done by saying:

he did not refuse to take his son Isaac to the altar to sacrifice him

son: Isaac was old enough to carry the wood for the sacrifice and to understand what was happening. He was a grown youth. Use a word for son that does not imply a small child.

on the altar: An altar is a type of platform on which people offer sacrifices. God had instructed his people to pile earth or large stones together to make altars to him. If an altar was made from stones, the stones were to be in their natural form. This means that people were not to cut the stones to a regular shape (Exodus 20:24–26).

If your culture does not have a traditional name for such an altar, some other ways to translate this phrase are:

on the stones for sacrificing
-or-
on the offering burning rocks
-or-
on the sacrifice place to God

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SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:22

2:22

In 2:22, James explained the lesson that we can learn from the example of Abraham in 2:21. That lesson is that faith and deeds go together.

The Good News Translation, King James Version, Revised English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English translate this verse as a rhetorical question. For example:

Can’t you see that his faith and his actions were, so to speak, partners—that his faith was implemented by his deed? (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

Most other English versions follow the Greek text and translate 2:22 as a statement. You should translate this verse in a way that shows emphasis. This can be done as a rhetorical question or as an emphatic statement.

2:22a

You see that: The clause You see that emphasizes that faith and deeds go together. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

You can understand that
-or-
It is clear that

As in 2:20a, the word You is singular and refers to the person who disagreed with James. This is the person that James has been answering since 2:18c. However, James was also addressing anyone who believed that it was possible to have faith without good deeds. So, in some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural form of “you” here.

his faith was working with his actions: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as his faith was working with his actions is literally “his faith was working together with his works.” In some languages, it is not possible to say that two things like faith and actions “work together.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

his faith and what he did occurred together at the same time
-or-
Abraham’s trust in God went together with his doing good deeds
-or-
he was not only trusting in God, but he was also doing what God told him to do

2:22b

and his faith was perfected by what he did: The clause his faith was perfected by what he did is passive. There are at least two ways to translate this clause:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

His faith was made complete by what he did—by his actions. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

• Use an active verb. For example:

His actions made his faith complete. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

his faith was perfected by what he did: This clause indicates that Abraham’s deeds showed that he had true faith. True faith leads to good deeds, so faith is not complete until there are good deeds to go with it. This should not imply that Abraham’s faith was in some way faulty or inadequate before he offered Isaac.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did. (God’s Word)
-or-
He proved that his faith was real by what he did. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
What he did showed that his faith was real/genuine.
-or-
That which he did showed that there was no lack in his believing God.

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

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on James 2012

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:15

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:16

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:17

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:18

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:19

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:20

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:21

SIL Translator's Notes on James 2:22

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