Saints Translation

By Vincent Melli

James — Greek text and reception

ReverendGuarded speech

James 3 — Greek text and reception

Saints Translation: James [V2 Working Draft]

Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.

Chapter 3

The tongue and wisdom from above

Teachers and the tongue

Verse 3:1

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater judgment.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The writer includes himself in we; greater judgment is not changed to a guarantee of condemnation. Reception: [R15].

Verse 3:2

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in speech, that person is a complete man, able to bridle his whole body also.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The universal we all and the repeated stumbling remain; the bridle metaphor links to 1:26. Reception: [R15].

Verse 3:3

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Now if we put bits into horses’ mouths so that they obey us, we guide their whole body also.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: G reads a conditional if; no behold reading is substituted. The control of the whole body is explicit. Reception: [R15].

Verse 3:4

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Look also at ships: although so large and driven by harsh winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s impulse wishes.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The contrast large/small and the pilot’s directing intention are retained. Reception: [R15].

Verse 3:5

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

So also the tongue is a small member and boasts great things. Look how small a fire sets so great a forest ablaze!

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The related hēlikon/hēlikēn forms express size; the small-fire/large-forest contrast follows the surrounding small-member imagery, rather than different dictionary meanings for the two forms. Hylē can denote wood or woodland; forest preserves the combustible image here. Reception: [R15], [R16].

Verse 3:6

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is established among our members as a world of unrighteousness, staining the whole body, setting the wheel of life ablaze, and itself set ablaze by Gehenna.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: Wheel of life retains trochon tēs geneseōs as an image; no specific philosophical system is asserted. Gehenna is the source’s named term. Reception: [R16].

Verse 3:7

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For every kind of wild animal and bird, of creeping creature and sea creature, is tamed and has been tamed by humankind;

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The four creature groups and present/perfect forms are preserved; this remains the author’s rhetorical comparison. Reception: [R17].

Verse 3:8

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: G reads restless, not an alternative untamable adjective. Poison and the universal inability are explicit. Reception: [R17].

Verse 3:9

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been made in God’s likeness.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: SBLGNT has Lord and Father, unlike God and Father in Calvin’s displayed English. The repeated with it connects blessing and cursing to the same tongue; human beings are explicitly described as made in God’s likeness. Reception: [R17].

Verse 3:10

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to happen this way.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: Same mouth and both opposed actions are retained. Reception: [R17].

Verse 3:11

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: Water is supplied as the natural object of sweet/bitter in the spring image. Reception: [R17].

Verse 3:12

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

My brothers, can a fig tree produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water produce sweet water.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The fig tree, olives, vine and figs remain distinct. SBLGNT ends with salt water producing sweet water, without repeating the spring noun or adding both. Calvin’s longer displayed wording is not imported. Reception: [R17].

Wisdom from above

Verse 3:13

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show his works by good conduct in the gentleness of wisdom.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: Wisdom is demonstrated in conduct; the source’s gentleness is not replaced with merely intellectual ability. Reception: [R18].

Verse 3:14

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast against the truth and lie against it.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The two vices and two prohibited actions remain. Against truth is carried through both English verbs. Reception: [R18].

Verse 3:15

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

This is not the wisdom coming down from above; it is earthly, merely natural, demonic.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: Psychikē is rendered merely natural in contrast to heavenly wisdom; no mental-health category is implied. Reception: [R18].

Verse 3:16

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there are disorder and every foul practice.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The location/result relation and the universal every are retained. Reception: [R18].

Verse 3:17

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, open to persuasion, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, without hypocrisy.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: All eight qualities are preserved. Adiakritos is taken as impartial; unwavering is another possible sense. Reception: [R18].

Verse 3:18

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And a fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G]: The dative can mean for or by the peacemakers; for is the chosen construal, with the alternative retained for review. Reception: [R18].