1tn Grk brothers. See note on the phrase brothers and sisters in 1:2.
2tn Or partiality.
3tn Grk do not have faith with personal prejudice, with emphasis on the last phrase.
4tn Grk our Lord Jesus Christ of glory. Here dovxh" (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
5tn The word for man or individual here is ajnhvr (anhr), which often means male or man (as opposed to woman). But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, equivalent to tiV" someone.
6tn Grk synagogue. Usually sunagwghv refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:15, John 6:59). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2.b.).
7tn Grk and you pay attention
and say, continuing the if clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.
8tn Or sit here, please.
9tn Grk sit under my footstool. The words on the floor have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace under my footstool with at my feet (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
10tn Grk have you not made distinctions (as the conclusion to the series of if clauses in vv. 2-3).
11tn Grk judges of evil reasonings.
12tn Grk brothers. See note on the phrase brothers and sisters in 1:2.
13tn This is singular: the poor person, perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.
14tn Grk that was invoked over you, referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lords name named over them is OT imagery for the Lords ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14; Amos 9:12; Isa 63:19; Jer 14:9; 15:16; Dan 9:19; Acts 15:17).
15tn Grk according to the scripture.
16sn A quotation from Lev 19:18 (also quoted in Matt 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14).
17tn Or transgressors.
18tn Or stumbles.
19tn Grk guilty of all.
20sn A quotation from Exod 20:14 and Deut 5:18.
21sn A quotation from Exod 20:13 and Deut 5:17.
22tn Grk a law of freedom.
23tn Grk boasts against, exults over, in victory.
24tn Grk brothers. See note on the phrase brothers and sisters in 1:2.
25tn Grk the faith, referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun pivsti" (pisti") in the verse. See ExSyn 219.
26sn The form of the question in Greek expects a negative answer.
27tn It is important to note that the words ajdelfov" (adelfos) and ajdelfhv (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on someone in 2:2.
28tn Grk what is necessary for the body.
29tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the someone end and where James reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The someone is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, Some have faith; others have works; dont expect everyone to have both. James reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.
30tn Or from.
31tn Grk you do well.
32tn Grk believe and tremble. The words with fear are implied.
33tn Grk do you want to know.
34tn Grk O empty man. Here the singular vocative a[nqrwpe (anqrwpe, man) means person or even fellow. Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. a[nqrwpo" 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).
35tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (Í A C2 P Y 33 Ï sy bo), have nekrav (nekra, dead) here, while Ì74 reads kenhv (kenh, empty). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ajrghv (argh, useless). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì74s reading picks up on kenev (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ajrghv is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if nekrav were original, how would ajrghv have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.
36sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
37sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called Gods beloved.