the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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King James Version
James 1:1
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James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
My name is James and I ride for, and only for Jesus Christ. I'm writing to the twelve outfits of Israel and I offer a heartfelt handshake to all of 'em!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends words of love to the twelve tribes of the Jews living in all parts of the earth.
James, bondman of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which [are] in the dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.
Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting:
Iames the seruaunt of God and of the LORDE Iesus Christ, sendeth gretinge to the xij. trybes which are scatered here & there.
James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE TRIBES dispers'd thro' the world, sends greeting.
I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello!
James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve [Hebrew] tribes [scattered abroad among the Gentiles] in the dispersion: Greetings (rejoice)!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting.
Iames the seruaut of God and of the Lorde Iesus Christ sendeth gretinge to ye .xii. trybes which are scattered here and there.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greetings.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!
From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To all of God's people who are scattered everywhere in the world: Greetings.
From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
From James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world.
From: Ya‘akov, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah To: The Twelve Tribes in the Diaspora: Shalom!
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lorde Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes, which are scattered abroade, salutation.
JAMES, a servant of God and of our LORD Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered among the Gentiles, greeting.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings.
Ya`akov, a servant of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, to the twelve tribes which are in the Diaspora: Greetings.
FromFrom">[fn] James, a servantslave">[fn] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings.Deuteronomy 32:26; John 7:35; Acts 2:5; 8:1; 12:17; 15:13; 26:7; Galatians 1:19; 2:9; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1;">[xr]
JAKUB, a servant of Aloha and of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha, unto the twelve tribes who are dispersed among the nations: Peace.
1 JAMES, a servant of God, and of our Lord Jesus the Messiah; to the twelve tribes dispersed among the Gentiles; greeting [fn] .
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the "twelve tribes"—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
This letter is from James. I am a servant owned by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I greet the twelve family groups of the Jewish nation living in many parts of the world.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James, a servant, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, - unto the twelve tribes that are in the dispersion, Wishes joy.
James, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings!
Iames a seruaunt of God, and of the lorde Iesus Christ, to ye twelue tribes which are scattred abroade, greetyng.
Greetings from James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God's people who are scattered all over the world.
James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world.
James, the seruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, to the twelue kinredis, that ben in scatering abrood, helthe.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
James: Matthew 10:3, Matthew 13:55, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13, Acts 12:17, Acts 15:13, Acts 21:18, Galatians 1:19, Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:12, Jude 1:1
a servant: John 12:26, Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1
to: Exodus 24:4, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 39:14, 1 Kings 18:31, Ezra 6:17, Matthew 19:28, Acts 26:7, Revelation 7:4
scattered: Leviticus 26:33, Deuteronomy 4:27, Deuteronomy 28:64, Deuteronomy 30:3, Deuteronomy 32:26, Esther 3:8, Ezekiel 12:15, John 7:35, Acts 2:5, Acts 8:1, Acts 15:21, 1 Peter 1:1
greeting: Acts 15:23, Acts 23:26, 2 Timothy 4:21
Reciprocal: Genesis 49:28 - every one Leviticus 24:5 - General Joshua 1:1 - the death Psalms 36:1 - servant Psalms 116:16 - truly Isaiah 11:12 - shall assemble Isaiah 24:1 - scattereth Jeremiah 9:16 - scatter Hosea 2:23 - I will sow Hosea 9:17 - and Mark 15:40 - Mary the Luke 19:13 - his John 11:52 - that were John 15:15 - I call Romans 1:7 - To all Romans 6:22 - become Romans 16:18 - serve Colossians 4:12 - a servant 2 Timothy 2:24 - the servant James 2:4 - partial
Cross-References
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
James, a servant of God,.... That is, of God the Father; not by creation only, as every man is; nor merely by calling grace, as is every regenerate person; but by office, as a preacher of the Gospel, being one that served God in the Gospel of his Son, and was an apostle of Christ; nor is this any sufficient objection to his being one, since others of the apostles so style themselves:
and of the Lord Jesus Christ; the Ethiopic version reads this in connection with the former clause, without the copulative "and", "James, the servant of God, our Lord Jesus Christ": and so some consider the copulative as explanative of who is meant by God, even the Lord Jesus Christ: but it seems best to understand them as distinct; and that this apostle was not only the servant of God the Father, but of his Son Jesus Christ, and that in the same sense, referring to his office as an apostle of Christ, and minister of the word:
to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad; by whom are meant believing Jews, who were of the several tribes of Israel, and which were in number "twelve", according to the number and names of the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob; and these were not the Christian Jews, who were scattered abroad upon the persecution raised at the death of Stephen, Acts 8:1 but they were the posterity of those who had been dispersed in former captivities, by the Assyrians and others, and who remained in the several countries whither they were carried, and never returned. The Jews say f, that the ten tribes will never return, and that they will have no part nor portion in the world to come; but these the Gospel met with in their dispersion, and by it they were effectually called and converted, and are the same that Peter writes to, 1 Peter 1:1 2 Peter 1:1. And thus we read of an hundred and forty and four thousand sealed of all the tribes of Israel, Revelation 7:4 and to these the apostle here sends greeting; that is, his Christian salutation, wishing them all happiness and prosperity, in soul and body, for time and eternity; and it includes all that grace, mercy, and peace, mentioned in the usual forms of salutation by the other apostles. The same form is used in Acts 15:23 and since it was James that gave the advice there, which the rest of the apostles and elders came into, it is highly probable that the epistles sent to the Gentiles were dictated by him; and the likeness of the form of salutation may confirm his being the writer of this epistle.
f T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 110. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
James, a servant of God - On the meaning of the word “servant” in this connection, see the note at Romans 1:1. Compare the note at Philemon 1:16. It is remarkable that James does not call himself an apostle; but this does not prove that the writer of the Epistle was not an apostle, for the same omission occurs in the Epistle of John, and in the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, the Thessalonians, and to Philemon. It is remarkable, also, considering the relation which James is supposed to have borne to the Lord Jesus as his “brother” (Galatians 1:19; Introduction, 1). That he did not refer to that as constituting a ground of claim to his right to address others; but this is only one instance out of many, in the New Testament, in which it is regarded as a higher honor to be the “servant of God,” and to belong to his family, than to sustain any relations of blood or kindred. Compare Mat 11:50. It may be observed also (Compare the introduction, Section 1), that this term is one which was especially appropriate to James, as a man eminent for his integrity. His claim to respect and deference was not primarily founded on any relationship which he sustained; any honor of birth or blood; or even any external office, but on the fact that he was a “servant of God.”
And of the Lord Jesus Christ - The “servant of the Lord Jesus,” is an appellation which is often given to Christians, and particularly to the ministers of religion. They are his servants, not in the sense that they are slaves, but in the sense that they voluntarily obey his will, and labor for him, and not for themselves.
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad - Greek “The twelve tribes which are in the dispersion,” or of the dispersion (ἐν τῇ διασπορᾷ en tē diaspora). This word occurs only here and in 1 Peter 1:1, and John 7:35. It refers properly to those who lived out of Palestine, or who were scattered among the Gentiles. There were two great “dispersions;” the Eastern and the Western. The first had its origin about the time when the ten tribes were carried away to Assyria, and in the time of the Babylonian captivity. In consequence of these events, and of the fact that large numbers of the Jews went to Babylon, and other Eastern countries, for purposes of travel, commerce, etc., there were many Jews in the East in the times of the apostles. The other was the Western “dispersion,” which commenced about the time of Alexander the Great, and which was promoted by various causes, until there were large numbers of Jews in Egypt and along Northern Africa, in Asia Minor, in Greece proper, and even in Rome. To which of these classes this Epistle was directed is not known; but most probably the writer had particular reference to those in the East. See the introduction, Section 2. The phrase “the twelve tribes,” was the common term by which the Jewish people were designated, and was in use long after the ten tribes were carried away, leaving, in fact, only two of the twelve in Palestine. Compare the notes at Acts 26:7. Many have supposed that James here addressed them as Jews, and that the Epistle was sent to them as such. But this opinion has no probability; because:
- If this had been the case, he would not have been likely to begin his Epistle by saying that he was “a servant of Jesus Christ,” a name so odious to the Jews.
(2)And, if he had spoken of himself as a Christian, and had addressed his countrymen as himself a believer in Jesus as the Messiah, though regarding them as Jews, it is incredible that he did not make a more distinct reference to the principles of the Christian religion; that he used no arguments to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah; that he did not attempt to convert them to the Christian faith.
It should be added, that at first most converts were made from those who had been trained in the Jewish faith, and it is not improbable that one in Jerusalem, addressing those who were Christians out of Palestine, would naturally think of them as of Jewish origin, and would be likely to address them as appertaining to the “twelve tribes.” The phrase “the twelve tribes” became also a sort of technical expression to denote the people of God - the church.
Greeting - A customary form of salutation, meaning, in Greek, to joy, to rejoice; and implying that he wished their welfare. Compare Acts 15:23.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES.
Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle.
-Year of the Constantinopolitan era of the world, or that used by the Byzantine historians, and other eastern writers, 5569.
-Year of the Alexandrian era of the world, 5563.
-Year of the Antiochian era of the world, 5553.
-Year of the world, according to Archbishop Usher, 4065.
-Year of the world, according to Eusebius, in his Chronicon, 4289.
-Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, or that in common use, 3821.
-Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4420.
-Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 2409.
-Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 3163.
-Year of the era of Iphitus, or since the first commencement of the Olympic games, 1001.
-Year of the era of Nabonassar, king of Babylon, 810.
-Year of the CCXth Olympiad, 1.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, 808.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Frontinus, 812.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to the Fasti Capitolini, 813.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro, which was that most generally used, 814.
-Year of the era of the Seleucidae, 373.
-Year of the Caesarean era of Antioch, 109.
-Year of the Julian era, 106.
-Year of the Spanish era, 99.
-Year from the birth of Jesus Christ according to Archbishop Usher, 65.
-Year of the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 61.
-Year of Porcius Festus, governor of the Jews, 1.
-Year of Vologesus, king of the Parthians, 12.
-Year of Domitius Corbulo, governor of Syria, 2.
-Jesus, high priest of the Jews.
-Year of the Dionysian period, or Easter Cycle, 62.
-Year of the Grecian Cycle of nineteen years, or Common Golden Number, 5; or the second embolismic.
-Year of the Jewish Cycle of nineteen years, 2, or the year before the first embolismic.
-Year of the Solar Cycle, 14.
-Dominical Letter, it being the first after the Bissextile, or Leap Year, D.
-Day of the Jewish Passover, according to the Roman computation of time, the XIth of the calends of April, or, in our common mode of reckoning, the twenty-second of March, which happened in this year on the day after the Jewish Sabbath.
-Easter Sunday, the IVth of the Calends of April, named by the Jews the 22d of Nisan or Abib; and by Europeans in general, the 29th of March.
-Epact, or age of the moon on the 22d of March, (the day of the earliest Easter Sunday possible,) 14.
-Epact, according to the present mode of computation, or the moon's age on New Year's day, or the Calends of January, 22.
-Monthly Epacts, or age of the moon on the Calends of each month respectively, (beginning with January,) 22, 24, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 28, 0, 0.
-Number of Direction, or the number of days from the twenty-first of March to the Jewish Passover, 1.
-Year of the reign of Caius Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar, the fifth Roman monarch, computing from Octavianus, or Augustus Caesar, properly the first Roman emperor, 8.
-Roman Consuls, C. Caesonius Paetus and C. Petronius Turpilianus.
CHAPTER I.
He addresses the dispersed of the twelve tribes, 1.
Shows that they should rejoice under the cross, because of the
spiritual good which they may derive from it, especially in
the increase and perfecting of their patience, 2-4.
They are exhorted to ask wisdom of God, who gives liberally to
all, 5.
But they must ask in faith, and not with a doubting mind, 6-8.
Directions to the rich and the poor, 9-11.
The blessedness of the man that endures trials, 12.
How men are tempted and drawn away from God, 13-15.
God is the Father of lights, and all good proceeds from him,
16-18.
Cautions against hasty words and wrong tempers, 19-21.
We should be doers of the word, and not hearers merely, lest we
resemble those who, beholding their natural face in a glass,
when it is removed forget what manner of persons they were,
22-24.
We should look into the perfect law of liberty, and continue
therein, 25.
The nature and properties of pure religion, 26, 27.
NOTES ON CHAP. I.
Verse James 1:1. James, a servant of God — For an account of this person, or rather for the conjectures concerning him, see the preface. He neither calls himself an apostle, nor does he say that he was the brother of Christ, or bishop of Jerusalem; whether he was James the elder, son of Zebedee, or James the less, called our Lord's brother, or some other person of the same name, we know not. The assertions of writers concerning these points are worthy of no regard. The Church has always received him as an apostle of Christ.
To the twelve tribes - scattered abroad — To the Jews, whether converted to Christianity or not, who lived out of Judea, and sojourned among the Gentiles for the purpose of trade or commerce. At this time there were Jews partly travelling, partly sojourning, and partly resident in most parts of the civilized world; particularly in Asia, Greece, Egypt, and Italy. I see no reason for restricting it to Jewish believers only; it was sent to all whom it might concern, but particularly to those who had received the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; much less must we confine it to those who were scattered abroad at the persecution raised concerning Stephen, Acts 8:1, c. Acts 11:19, c. That the twelve tribes were in actual existence when James wrote this epistle, Dr. Macknight thinks evident from the following facts:
"1. Notwithstanding Cyrus allowed all the Jews in his dominions to return to their own land, many of them did not return. This happened agreeably to God's purpose, in permitting them to be carried captive into Assyria and Babylonia for he intended to make himself known among the heathens, by means of the knowledge of his being and perfections, which the Jews, in their dispersion, would communicate to them. This also was the reason that God determined that the ten tribes should never return to their own land, Hosea 1:6; Hosea 8:8; Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:15-17.
2. That, comparatively speaking, few of the twelve tribes returned in consequence of Cyrus's decree, but continued to live among the Gentiles, appears from this: that in the days of Ahasuerus, one of the successors of Cyrus, who reigned from India to AEthiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, Esther 3:8, The Jews were dispersed among the people in all the provinces of his kingdom, and their laws were diverse from the laws of all other people, and they did not keep the king's laws; so that, by adhering to their own usages, they kept themselves distinct from all the nations among whom they lived.
3. On the day of pentecost, which happened next after our Lord's ascension, Acts 2:5; Acts 2:9, There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven; Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, c. so numerous were the Jews, and so widely dispersed through all the countries of the world.
4. When Paul travelled through Asia and Europe, he found the Jews so numerous, that in all the noted cities of the Gentiles they had synagogues in which they assembled for the worship of God, and were joined by multitudes of proselytes from among the heathens, to whom likewise he preached the Gospel.
5. The same apostle, in his speech to King Agrippa, affirmed that the twelve tribes were then existing, and that they served God day and night, in expectation of the promise made to the fathers, Acts 26:6.
6. Josephus, Ant. i. 14, cap. 12, tells us that one region could not contain the Jews, but they dwelt in most of the flourishing cities of Asia and Europe, in the islands and continent, not much less in number than the heathen inhabitants. From all this it is evident that the Jews of the dispersion were more numerous than even the Jews in Judea, and that James very properly inscribed this letter to the twelve tribes which were in the dispersion, seeing the twelve tribes really existed then, and do still exist, although not distinguished by separate habitations, as they were anciently in their own land.
Greeting. — χαιρειν. Health; a mere expression of benevolence, a wish for their prosperity; a common form of salutation; see Acts 15:23; Acts 23:26; 2 John 1:11.
