Hebrews 6:13

6:13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,

Hebrews 11:13

11:13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, ¹  but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners ²  on the earth.

Hebrews 11:39-40

11:39 And these all were commended ³  for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. ⁴  11:40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. ⁵ 

James 1:12

1:12 Happy is the one ⁶  who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God ⁷  promised to those who love him.

James 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ⁸  a slave ⁹  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ¹⁰  Greetings!

James 2:25

2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way?

¹ tn Grk “the promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.

² tn Or “sojourners.”

³ sn The expression these all were commended forms an inclusio with Heb 11:2: The chapter begins and ends with references to commendation for faith.

⁴ tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.

⁵ tn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that they would not be made perfect without us.”

⁶ tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”

⁷ tc Most mss ([C] P 0246 Ï) read ὁ κύριος (Jo kurio", “the Lord”) here, while others have ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”; 4 33^vid 323 945 1739 al). However, several important and early witnesses (̲³ א A B Ψ 81 co) have no explicit subject. In light of the scribal tendency toward clarification, and the fact that both κύριος and θεός are well represented, there can be no doubt that the original text had no explicit subject. The referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity, not because of textual basis.

⁸ tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ 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.