But who art thou ? (od &é ris e@). According to the Greek order: but thou, who art thou ?
13. Go to now (aye viv). Go to is an obsolete phrase, though retained in Rev. It is a formula for calling attention : come NOW.
Such a city (r7vde tv dv). More accurately, as Rev., this city.
Continue there a year (sroujcopev éxet éviavtov). Lit., we will make a year. See, for the same form of expression, Acts xv. 33; xviii. 23; 2 Cor. xi.25. Better, as Rev., spend a year there. (Compare the A. V., Acts xviii. 23, rightly retained by Rev.) The word zovujoowev implies more than mere con- tinuance ; rather, a doing something with the year.
And. The frequent use of the copulative gives a lively tone to the passage, expressive of the lightness and thoughtlessness of a careless spirit.
758 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. IV.
Buy and sell (éuzropevodueda). Rey., more concisely, trade. Only here and 2 Pet. ii. 3.
14. Whereas ye know not (oftwes ov« érictacde). The pronoun marking a class, as being of those who know not.
What shall be on the morrow (7d ris avpuov). Lit., the thing of the morrow. The texts vary. Westcott and Hort read, Ye know not what your life shall be on the morrow, for ye are @ vapor: thus throwing out the question.
What is your life? (zola). Lit., of what kind or nature.
It is even a vapor (atpls ydp éotw). But all the best texts read éote, ye are. So Rev., which, however, retains the ques- tion, what as your life ?
Appeareth—vanisheth. oth participles, appearing, van- ishing.
And then (ézreta cat). The «al placed after the adverb then is not copulative, but expresses that the vapor vanishes even as it appeared.
15. For that ye ought to say (dv7i rod Aéyew buds). Ver. 14 was parenthetical, so that at this point the thought is taken up from ver. 13: Yewho say we will go, ete.—for that ye ought to say. The rendering in margin of Rev. is simpler: instead of your saying.
16. Ve rejoice (cavyac3e). Rev., glory. See on ch. ii. 13.
Boastings (dAafovetars). Only here and 1 John ii. 16. The kindred word drafwv, a boaster, is derived from ddn, a wan- dering or roaming ; hence, primarily, a vagabond, a quack, a mountebank. From the empty boasts of such concerning the cures and wonders they could perform, the word passed into the sense of boaster. One may boast truthfully ; but aratovela
Cu. V.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 759
is false and swaggering boasting. Rev. renders vauntings, and rightly, since vawnt is from the Latin vanus, empty, and there- fore expresses 7dle or vain boasting.
CHAPTER V. 1. Goto. See on ch. iv. 13.
Weep and howl (xAavcate ddodvfovtes). Lit., weep, hovl- ing. The latter is a descriptive word, ol-ol-wz-o. Only here in New Testament, and denoting a more demonstrative and pas- sionate expression of grief than weeping.
Miseries (radavrwplas). Only here and Rom. iii.16. See on be afflicted, ch. iv. 9.
That shall come upon (éepyouévais). Present participle. More correctly, as Rev., that wre coming.
2. Are corrupted (cécn7ev). Only herein New Testament.
Are moth-eaten (ontoBpota yéyovev). Lit., have become moth-eaten. Only here in New Testament, but compare axwA7- KoBpwros, eaten of worms, Acts xii. 23; and see Matt. vi. 19, 20.
3. Is cankered (xatiwras). Only here in New Testament, from ids, rust, as in the following sentence. Also poison, as ch. iii. 8. The preposition card indicates thoroughness, com- pletely rusted.
Flesh (ras cdpxas). The noun is plural: the fleshy parts of the body. So Sept. (2 Kings ix. 36): “the flesh (Tas odpKas) of Jezebel.” So Apoc. xix. 18.
4, Reaped down (auncdvtwv). Only here in New Tes- tament. The primary meaning is to reap corn ; also in classical Greek of mowing down in battle. The secondary, which some