18
exist without works, but rather, that faith cannot exist without works. He does not oppose faith and works ; but he opposes the empty name of boasted faith, and the faith which is true and firm in itself, and which produces abundant fruit. — y v/grig, that faith) The article has the force of a pronoun, — that which you speak of, and pretend to, that which is called faith : in the same manner, that which liars boast of is called wisdom , ch. iii. 15. — ctvr'ov , himself) Such a faith neither confers any advantage on another, nor saves the man himself.
15. ’Edb ds, hut if) A comparison (the Protasis of which, even by itself, conveys a suitable admonition, and one not foreign to the subject): hence the Epanelepsis,1 what doth it profit? ver. 14, 16.
16. ’Eg vpobv, of you ) This tacit appeal to the judgment of his readers makes the Apodosis more forcible. — urrayere sv e/pyvri, Go in peace) A form of repulse even now in use : God help you , that is, expect no help from me. — OspfiaivsoQs %a) yopruZ)i<sk, he ye warm and filled) This is good and courteous advice, if it were realised, so that there were at hand clothing to warm, and food to satisfy.
17. ’Eav fjjij spy cc if it hath not works) If the works which
living faith produces in other cases have no existence, it is a proof that faith itself (this is the meaning of %a§ saury v) has no existence, or that that, which any one boasts of as faith, is dead. — vsxpu san, is dead) As the mere saying, Take food and drink and a garment , is not meat and drink that satisfies, nor a garment that warms, so the saying, I have faith , is not real faith , which profits his neighbour, and is salutary to the speaker himself. The title dead strikes us with horror. Though the abstract word is used, the concrete is meant. Faith is dead ; that is, the man who says that he has faith, has not that life, which is faith itself. A similar 2 change in the attribution of words occurs, ch. iii. 4. See the note. — r.ad' sauryv , in respect to [by] itself) And when it has works it is alive , and is discerned to be so, not in respect to \hy] the works, but in respect to \hy] itself. It does not derive its life from works.
18. ’AXX’ spsTng , hut some one will say) entertaining more correct sentiments than the other person , mentioned in ver. 14, and assert- ing the true nature of faith and works. — ds7%ov poi) show me thy faith
1 The figure Epanalepsis is the putting of the same word, or words, at the be- ginning of a preceding clause and at the end of a subsequent clause or member of a sentence. Thus verse 14th begins, and verse 16th ends, with the same words, “ What doth it profit ?”
2 See Append, on Hypallagf..