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without thy works (show, if thou canst ; that is, thou canst not) ; and I will show thee by my works , of which I know that I cannot be destitute, my faith. There are two sayings, the former of which 1 speaks of faith before works, the latter of works before faith, and this for the sake of emphasis ; the former has reference to the clause, Thou hast faith ; the latter to the clause, and I have works. See Apparat. Crit., Ed. ii., on this passage.1 2 [The xuplg gives point to the challenge, dsT^ov, x.r.X. — Not. Crit.]
19. 20 mffreveig thou believest) There is a forcible repetition in the word thou by the figure Anaphora ;3 4 for this verse also is contained under the words, a man will say (ver. 18). — 6 Qeog sTg, One God) That fundamental article, which has always distinguished the faith- ful from unbelievers, is put prominently forward. — ^riarevovin, believe ) The word believe is here used in a very wide sense ; for the devils perceive, and understand, and remember, that there is a God, and one only. — xai (ppkfovffiy and tremble) in fearful expectation of eternal torments. So far is such a faith as that from justifying or saving its possessor ; and yet it has some efficacy, but in an opposite direction. This, added as it is, contrary to the expectation of the reader, has great force.
20. QiXeig, Art thou willing ?) A question full of character (marked
by courtesy) ; for vain men are in fact unwilling to know, and do not suffer themselves to observe. — xsv's, vain man) uttering vain and empty words. — xuP^ spyuv vsxpd e<fnv, without works is dead)
This is both illustrated and proved in the following verse. — vexpaf dead) without life and strength to justify and save.
21. ’A fipua/jj 6 ‘Kurrip Abraham our father) So St Paul, Pom. iv. 1. — Ig epyuv sbixuiudri, was justified, by works) St James recognises the inward and peculiar power of faith, which is previous to works, and distinct from works and from their influence, which reacts upon faith (ver. 22) : but hypocrites are ignorant of this ; speaking
1 Thus also verse 22. See the note on Luke xi. 36.
2 ABC Vulg. have xapi?. But Stephens’ Rec. Text (not Engl. Yers.) has lx, with later authorities. — E.
3 See Append, under the title Anaphora.
4 viKpoi. ' Apyri is the reading of Cov. 4, Gen. and many Latin copies. Baumgarten asserts that this variation of reading ought not to have been num- bered among those worthy of mention. I have mentioned it in the margin, which perhaps I should not have done, had not the Vulgate read otiosa. Yet I have added e. Moreover in the smaller edition I have erased it.
’A pyvi is the reading of BC corrected, Vulg. {otiosa). But vtKpoi, of A Memph. inferior MSS. of Vulg. Tisch. and Lachm. read dpy^. — E.
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