OET interlinear YAC (JAM) 1:1

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

Ἰάκωβος

Jacobus

In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, and they would refer to themselves in the third person. If that would be confusing in your language, you could use the first person. If your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter, you could also use that if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “I, James, am writing this letter” or “From James”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς

˱to˲_the twelve tribes

James is speaking of the nation of Israel by association with the fact that it was made up of 12 tribes. Alternate translation: “to the nation of Israel”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς

˱to˲_the twelve tribes

James is speaking of Jesus’ followers as if they were the nation of Israel, since the community of the people of God had expanded from that nation to include people of every nation who followed Jesus. Alternate translation: “to followers of Jesus”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς

˱to˲_the twelve tribes

In this culture, after giving their own names, letter writers would then say to whom they were writing, naming those people in the third person. If that would be confusing in your language, you could use the second person. Alternate translation: “to you followers of Jesus”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν τῇ διασπορᾷ

in the dispersion

At this time, the term dispersion referred to those Jews who were living away from their homeland of Israel and who were scattered into various parts of the Roman Empire. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun dispersion with a verb such as “scattered.” Alternate translation: “scattered throughout the world” or, if you are using the second person, “who are scattered throughout the world”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐν τῇ διασπορᾷ

in the dispersion

While the term dispersion referred literally to Jews, James is using it to describe followers of Jesus. Alternate translation: “scattered throughout the world” or, if you are using the second person, “who are scattered throughout the world”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

χαίρειν.

/to_be/_greeting

The word Rejoice was used at this time as a greeting. In your translation, you could use the greeting that is typical of your language and culture. Alternate translation: “Greetings!”