The Epistle of

James

A Commentary on the Greek Text

by

Peter H. Davids

WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN / CAMBRIDGE, U.K.

THE PATERNOSTER PRESS

CARLISLE

© 1982 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Published jointly in the United States of America by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

and in the U.K. by

Paternoster Press

P.O. Box 300, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 0QS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or a license permitting restricted copying. In the U.K. such licenses are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Davids, Peter H.

The epistle of James.

Bibliography: p. xiii.

1. Bible. N.T. James—Commentaries. I. Title.

BS2785.3.D38 227´.91077 82–1498

ISBN 0-8028-2388-2 AACR2

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 0-85364-334-2

TO

JUDITH

Beloved wife

True Helpmeet

Dearest Friend

Trusted Advisor

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Abbreviations and Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

i. Authorship and Date

1. The Major Historic Positions

2. Direct Claims

3. External Evidence

4. Internal Evidence

ii. Form and Structure

iii. A Possible Sitz Im Leben

iv. Theology

1. Suffering/Testing

2. Eschatology

3. Christology

4. Poverty-Piety

5. Law, Grace, and Faith

6. Wisdom

7. Prayer

v. Language and Text

1. Language and Style

2. Text

COMMENTARY

i. Epistolary Introduction

ii. Opening Statement

1. First Segment: Testing, Wisdom, Wealth

2. Second Segment: Testing, Speech, Generosity

iii. The Excellence of Poverty and Generosity

1. No Partiality is Allowable

2. Generosity is Necessary

iv. The Demand For Pure Speech

1. Pure Speech Has No Anger

2. Pure Speech Comes From Wisdom

3. Pure Prayer Is Without Anger/in Trust

4. Pure Speech Is Uncondemning

v. Testing Through Wealth

1. The Test of Wealth

2. The Test by the Wealthy

vi. Closing Statement

1. Endurance in the Test

2. Rejection of Oaths

3. Helping One Another through Prayer/Forgiveness

4. Closing Encouragement

INDEXES (Compiled by Peter Davids)

AUTHORS

SUBJECTS

GREEK WORDS DISCUSSED

ARAMAIC-HEBREW WORDS AND PHRASES

WORKS CITED

FOREWORD

While there have been many series of commentaries on the English text of the New Testament in recent years, it is a long time since any attempt has been made to cater particularly to the needs of students of the Greek text. It is true that at the present time there is something of a decline in the study of Greek in many traditional theological institutions, but there has been a welcome growth in the study of the New Testament in its original language in the newer evangelical schools, especially in North America and the Third World. It is hoped ...