1 tn Grk "brothers." See note on the phrase "brothers and sisters" in 1:2.

2tn Or "partiality."

3tn Grk "do not have faith with personal prejudice," with emphasis on the last phrase.

4tn Grk "our Lord Jesus Christ of glory." Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

5tn The word for "man" or "individual" here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means "male" or "man (as opposed to woman)." But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, "equivalent to τὶς someone."

6tn Grk "synagogue." Usually συναγωγή refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:15, John 6:59). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2.b.).

7tn Grk "and you pay attention…and say," continuing the "if" clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.

8tn Or "sit here, please."

9tn Grk "sit under my footstool." The words "on the floor" have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace "under my footstool" with "at my feet" (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

10tn Grk "have you not made distinctions" (as the conclusion to the series of "if" clauses in vv. 2-3).

11tn Grk "judges of evil reasonings."

12tn Grk "brothers." See note on the phrase "brothers and sisters" in 1:2.

13tn This is singular: "the poor person," perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.

14tn Grk "that was invoked over you," referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lord's name "named over them" is OT imagery for the Lord's ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14; Amos 9:12; Isa 63:19; Jer 14:9; 15:16; Dan 9:19; Acts 15:17).

15tn Grk "according to the scripture."

16sn A quotation from Lev 19:18 (also quoted in Matt 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14).

17tn Or "transgressors."

18tn Or "stumbles."

19tn Grk "guilty of all."

20sn A quotation from Exod 20:14 and Deut 5:18.

21sn A quotation from Exod 20:13 and Deut 5:17.

22tn Grk "a law of freedom."

23tn Grk "boasts against, exults over," in victory.

24tn Grk "brothers." See note on the phrase "brothers and sisters" in 1:2.

25tn Grk "the faith," referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun πίστις (pisti") in the verse. See ExSyn 219.

26sn The form of the question in Greek expects a negative answer.

27tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelfos) and ἀδελφή (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on "someone" in 2:2.

28tn Grk "what is necessary for the body."

29tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the "someone" end and where James' reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The "someone" is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, "Some have faith; others have works; don't expect everyone to have both." James' reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.

30tn Or "from."

31tn Grk "you do well."

32tn Grk "believe and tremble." The words "with fear" are implied.

33tn Grk "do you want to know."

34tn Grk "O empty man." Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, "man") means "person" or even "fellow." Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).

35tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, "dead") here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, "empty"). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, "useless"). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴'s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.

36sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

37sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God's "beloved."