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interlinearVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
OET (OET-LV) If however the_law you_all_are_accomplishing royal, according_to the scripture:
You_will_be_loving the neighbor of_you as yourself, well you_all_are_doing.
OET (OET-RV) However if you are obeying the golden law, then when you love your neighbour as yourself, you’ll be doing well according to the scriptures.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
εἰ μέντοι
if however
James is using these words to introduce a contrast with what he said in 2:6, “you have dishonored the poor,” meaning “you have treated rich people much better than you have treated poor people.” Alternate translation: “But if, instead of favoring rich people”
τελεῖτε
˱you_all˲_/are/_accomplishing
The verb fulfill comes from the same root as the adjective “perfect” that James uses several times earlier in this letter. It means to make something accomplish its purpose or reach its goal. Alternate translation: “you completely obey”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
νόμον & βασιλικὸν
/the/_law & royal
There are two possible reasons for why James describes the law that he quotes here from Leviticus 19:18 as royal. (1) When Jesus came proclaiming the kingdom of God, he said that this law was one of two that summed up all of the other laws and guided life in the kingdom of God. (The other law was to love God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength.) Alternate translation: “the law that guides life in the kingdom of God” (2) James may say that this law is royal because God, the true king, gave it to people. Alternate translation: “God’s law”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / declarative
ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν
˱you˲_/will_be/_loving the neighbor ˱of˲_you as yourself
Here the law of Moses is using a future statement to give a command. Alternate translation: “You are to love your neighbor as you love yourself”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / youcrowd
ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν
˱you˲_/will_be/_loving the neighbor ˱of˲_you as yourself
The words You, your, and yourself are singular in this quotation because, even though Moses gave this law to the Israelites as a group, each individual person was expected to obey it. So in your translation, use the singular forms of “You,” “your,” and “yourself” if your language marks that distinction.
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
τὸν πλησίον σου
the neighbor ˱of˲_you
This is an idiom. It does not mean only someone who lives nearby. Alternate translation: “other people” or “anyone you encounter”
καλῶς ποιεῖτε
well ˱you_all˲_/are/_doing
Alternate translation: “you are doing what God wants you to do”
2:8 Christians are to obey (literally fulfill) the royal law, just as Jesus fulfilled the law by his coming (Matt 5:17) and his teaching (Matt 22:34-40).
• The law is called royal because it belongs to the Kingdom (Jas 2:5) and was articulated by our glorious Lord (King).
• as found in the Scriptures: James changes from a general reference to the law to a specific written commandment from the holiness code (Lev 19). It specifies how our love for God is to be expressed in relationships with other people (see Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5).
• “Love your neighbor as yourself”: This quotation from Lev 19:18 requires identifying with the neighbor as though the neighbor were yourself.
OET (OET-LV) If however the_law you_all_are_accomplishing royal, according_to the scripture:
You_will_be_loving the neighbor of_you as yourself, well you_all_are_doing.
OET (OET-RV) However if you are obeying the golden law, then when you love your neighbour as yourself, you’ll be doing well according to the scriptures.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and English gloss (7th line) are all thanks to the SR-GNT.