1:1 From James, 4 a slave 5 of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. 6 Greetings!
1 tn Grk “all who have loved.”
2 tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”
3 tc Most
3 tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
4 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
5 tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the logical sequence of events.
5 tn Grk “who,” continuing the description of the readers from vs. 9. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
6 sn The quotations in v. 10 are from Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.