James 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ¹  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ² 

Psalms 107:43

107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!

Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom

8:1 Who is ³  a ⁴  wise person? Who knows the solution ⁵  to a problem? ⁶ 

A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance, ⁷  and softens ⁸  his harsh countenance. ⁹ 

Ecclesiastes 8:5

8:5 Whoever obeys his ¹⁰  command will not experience harm,

and a wise person ¹¹  knows the proper time ¹²  and procedure.

Jeremiah 9:12

9:12 I said, ¹³ 

“Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? ¹⁴ 

Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? ¹⁵ 

Why does the land lie in ruins?

Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?”

Jeremiah 9:23

9:23 ¹⁶ The Lord says,

“Wise people should not boast that they are wise.

Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. ¹⁷ 

Rich people should not boast that they are rich. ¹⁸ 

Matthew 7:24

Hearing and Doing

7:24 “Everyone ¹⁹  who hears these words of mine and does them is like ²⁰  a wise man ²¹  who built his house on rock.

Matthew 7:1

Do Not Judge

7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ²² 

Colossians 1:5

1:5 Your faith and love have arisen ²³  from the hope laid up ²⁴  for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel ²⁵ 

Galatians 6:4

6:4 Let each one examine ²⁶  his own work. Then he can take pride ²⁷  in himself and not compare himself with ²⁸  someone else.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ² tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[8:1]  ³ tn The preposition כְּ (kaf) prefixed to כְּהֶחָכָם (kÿhekhakham, “wise man”) is traditionally taken in a comparative sense: “Who is like [or as] the wise man?” On the other hand, it may denote identity, e.g., Gen 1:26; Num 11:1; 1 Sam 20:3; 2 Sam 9:8; Neh 7:2; Job 10:9; Nah 3:6 (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 47, §261; IBHS 202-4 §11.2.9b).

[8:1]  ⁴ tn The definite article on הֶחָכָם (hekhakham, “wise man”) may be taken in an individualizing (“the wise man”) or generic sense (“a wise man”).

[8:1]  ⁵ tn Or “the explanation.” The noun פֵּשֶׁר (pesher) denotes “solution; explanation; interpretation; meaning” (HALOT 982–83 s.v. פֵּשֶׁר; BDB 833 s.v. פֵּשֶׁר). The Hebrew term is an Aramaic loanword from פִּשְׁרָא (pishra’, “diagnosis; meaning; solution”). The Aramaic noun פְּשַׁר (pÿshar, “interpretation of a dream or prophecy”) and verb פְּשַׁר (pÿshar, “to interpret a dream or prophecy”) reflect a later meaning not present in Ecclesiastes, but current at the time of Daniel (Dan 2:5-7; 4:3, 15, 16; 5:12, 15, 16; 7:16) and Qumran (e.g., 1QpHab).

[8:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “a thing.”

[8:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “makes his face shine.”

[8:1]  ⁸ tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal form ישנא as יְשֻׁנֶּא (yÿshunne’, Pual imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from I שָׁנָה, shana, “to change”). However, the LXX μισθήσεται (misqhsetai) reflects an alternate vocalization tradition of יִשָּׂנֵא (yissane’, Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from שָׂנֵא, sane’, “to hate”), while the Vulgate’s commutabit reflects יְשַׁנֶּה (yÿshanneh, Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from II שָׁנָה, shanah, “to repeat”).

[8:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “the strength of his face is changed.” The expression עֹז פָּנָיו (’oz panayv, “strength of his face”) is an idiom for “boldness; impudence” (BDB 739 s.v. עֹז 4) or “hard face” = harsh countenance (HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז 1.c).

[8:5]  ¹⁰ tn The word “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[8:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the heart of a wise man.”

[8:5]  ¹² tn The term עֵת (’et, “time”) connotes “a proper, suitable time for an event; the right moment” (HALOT 900 s.v. עֵת 6; BDB 773 s.v. עֵת 2.b); e.g., “it was the time for rain” (Ezra 10:13); “a time of judgment for the nations” (Ezek 30:3); “there is an appropriate time for every occasion” (Eccl 3:1); “the time when mountain goats are born” (Job 39:1); “the rain in its season” (Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24); “the time for the harvest” (Hos 2:11; Ps 1:3); “food in its season” (Ps 104:27).

[9:12]  ¹³ tn The words, “I said” are not in the text. It is not clear that a shift in speaker has taken place. However, the words of the verse are very unlikely to be a continuation of the Lord’s threat. It is generally assumed that these are the words of Jeremiah and that a dialogue is going on between him and the Lord in vv. 9-14. That assumption is accepted here.

[9:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Who is the wise man that he may understand this?”

[9:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “And [who is the man] to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken that he may explain it?”

[9:23]  ¹⁶ sn It is not always clear why verses were placed in their present position in the editorial process of collecting Jeremiah’s sermons and the words the Lord spoke to him (see Jer 36:4, 32 for reference to two of these collections). Here it is probable that vv. 23-26 were added as a further answer to the question raised in v. 12.

[9:23]  ¹⁷ tn Or “Strong people should not brag that they are strong.”

[9:23]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “…in their wisdom…in their power…in their riches.”

[7:24]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[7:24]  ²⁰ tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.

[7:24]  ²¹ tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.

[7:1]  ²² sn The point of the statement do not judge so that you will not be judged is that the standards we apply to others God applies to us. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.

[1:5]  ²³ tn Col 1:3-8 form one long sentence in the Greek text and have been divided at the end of v. 4 and v. 6 and within v. 6 for clarity, in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English toward shorter sentences. Thus the phrase “Your faith and love have arisen from the hope” is literally “because of the hope.” The perfect tense “have arisen” was chosen in the English to reflect the fact that the recipients of the letter had acquired this hope at conversion in the past, but that it still remains and motivates them to trust in Christ and to love one another.

[1:5]  ²⁴ tn BDAG 113 s.v. ἀπόκειμαι 2 renders ἀποκειμένην (apokeimenhn) with the expression “reserved” in this verse.

[1:5]  ²⁵ tn The term “the gospel” (τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, tou euangeliou) is in apposition to “the word of truth” (τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, tw logw th" alhqeia") as indicated in the translation.

[6:4]  ²⁶ tn Or “determine the genuineness of.”

[6:4]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he will have a reason for boasting.”

[6:4]  ²⁸ tn Or “and not in regard to.” The idea of comparison is implied in the context.