Perfect. Enlarges upon good, bringing out more distinctly the moral quality of the gift.
And cometh down (xataBatvov). A present participle, to be construed with dvwIev éotw, ts from above. Lit., 7s coming down from above. As usual, this union of the participle with the finite verb denotes something habitual. Render, descendeth from above. Compare ch, iti. 15.
Father of lights (rod watpos Tay pwtwv). Lit., the lights, by which are meant the heavenly bodies. Compare Ps. cxxxy. 7 (Sept.); and Jer. iv. 23 (Sept.). God is called “ the Father of the lights,” as being their creator and maintainer. Compare Job xxxviii. 28; Ps. viii. 3; Amos v. 8.
Is no variableness (é). Abbreviated from éveoti, 7s i. Stronger than the simple zs, and denoting inherence or indwell- ing. Rev., can be.
Variableness (sapaddayy). Better, Rev., variation. The word is not used, as some suppose, in a technical, astronomical
Woe WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cx, I.
sense, which James’ readers would not have understood, but in the simple sense of change in the degree or intensity of light, such as is manifested by the heavenly bodies. Compare Plato, “ Republic,” vii., 580: “ Will he (the astronomer) not think that the heaven and the things in heaven are framed by the Creator in the most perfect manner? But when he reflects that the proportions of night and day, or of both, to the month, or of the month to the year, or of the other stars to these and to one an- other, are of the visible and material, he will never fall into the error of supposing that they are eternal and lable to no devia- tion (ovdSev wapadrdtrew)—that would be monstrous.”
Shadow of turning (tporjs atrockiacua). This is popularly understood to mean that there is in God not the faintest hint or shade of change, like the phrase,a shadow of suspicion. But the Greek has no such idiom, and that is not James’ meaning. Reyv., rightly, renders, shadow that is cast by turning ; referring still to the heavenly orbs, which cast shadows in their revolution, as when the moon turns. her dark side to us, or the sun is eclipsed by the body of the moon.
18. Begat (amextnoev). Rev., brought forth. See on ver. 15, and compare 1 John iii. 9; 1 Pet. i. 23.
A kind of first-fruits (a7apynv twa). A kind of indicates the figurative nature of the term. The figure is taken from the requirement of the Jewish law that the first-born of men and cattle, and the first growth of fruits and grain should be conse- crated to the Lord. The point of the illustration is that Chris- tians, like first-fruits, should be consecrated to God. The ex- pression “ first-fruits” is common in the New Testament. See Rom. viii. 23; xvi. 5; 1 Cor. xv. 20, 23; Apoc. xiv. 4.
19. Wherefore. The A. V. follows the reading éore. But the correct reading is tote, ye know, and so Rev. Others render it as Imperative, know ye, as calling attention to what follows.
21. Filthiness (pu7apiav). Only here in New Testament, but James uses the kindred adjective (ch. ii. 2), “véle raiment.”
Cx. I.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. Tas:
‘Poros, filth, occurs in 1 Pet. iii. 21—on which see notes; and the verb puma, to be jilthy, is found in Apoe. xxii. 11.
Superfluity of naughtiness (wepiccetav xaxias). A trans- lation which may be commended to the attention of indiscrim- inate panegyrists of the A. V. Ilepioceta is an unclassical word, and occurs in three other New-Testament passages—Rom., v. 17; 2 Cor. viii. 2; x. 15. In all these it is rendered abun- dance, both by A. V. and Rev. There seems to be no need of departing from this meaning here, as Rev., overflowing. The sense is abounding or abundant wichedness. For naughtiness Rev. gives wickedness, as in 1 Pet. ii. 1, 16, where it changes malice to wickedness. It is mostly rendered madice in both A. V.and Rey. In this passage, as in the two from Peter, Rev. gives malice, in margin. Malice is an adequate translation, the word denoting a malevolent disposition toward one’s neighbor. Hence it is not a general term for moral evil, but a special form of vice. Compare the wrath of man, ver. 20. MNaughtiness has acquired a petty sense in popular usage, as of the mischiev- ous pranks of children, which renders it out of the question here.