1:2 My brothers and sisters, 4 consider it nothing but joy 5 when you fall into all sorts of trials,
1:1 From James, 6 a slave 7 of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. 8 Greetings!
4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town 9 and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”
1 sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).
2 sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).
3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
4 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). Where the plural term is used in direct address, as here, “brothers and sisters” is used; where the term is singular and not direct address (as in v. 9), “believer” is preferred.
5 tn Grk “all joy,” “full joy,” or “greatest joy.”
6 tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
7 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
8 tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.
9 tn Or “city.”