YAC 1:14 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:12–18: God does not tempt people to do evil

This section has an opening verse (1:12)Some commentators connect 1:12 to 1:2–11 (Hiebert, for example). Others see 1:12 as a kind of “hinge” that connects 1:2–11 to 1:12–18 (Moo (2000), pages 71–72; McCartney, page 100). They recognize that 1:2–3 and 1:12 form an inclusio, or verbal bracket to 1:2–12 through the repetition in both of three key words: trials (πειρασμοῖς/πειρασμόν), testing (δοκίμιον/δόκιμος), and endurance (ὑπομονήν/ὑπομένει). and two main paragraphs (1:13–15 and 1:16–18). In 1:12 James recalled 1:2–3 and that it was important to persevere in times of trial and temptation. The next paragraph, 1:13–15, points out that it is not God who tempts us but our own sinful desires, which eventually lead to death. Paragraph 1:16–18 reinforces this by saying that God gives only good gifts.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Christians should endure testing and temptations

Trials and temptations

Paragraph 1:13–15

In this paragraph, James taught that God does not tempt people. Our own sinful desires in our hearts and minds tempt us.

1:14a–b

each one is tempted when by his own evil desires: This clause states a general principle. In some languages, it may be more natural to state a general principle using plural phrases or using pronouns like “we” or “you.” For example:

people are tempted…by their own evil desires

we are tempted…by our own evil desires

you are tempted…by your own evil desires

This clause is also passive. Some ways to translate it are:

Use a passive verb. For example:
Everyone is tempted by his own desires (GW)
Use an active verb. For example:
A person’s own evil desire tempts him
Temptation comes from our own desires (NLT)

1:14a

But each one is tempted

But, each person is tempted
Rather, temptation happens/occurs
People want to do wrong

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But indicates a contrast. The contrast is between the false idea that God tempts people to sin (1:13) and the true idea about temptation (1:14).

Some other ways to indicate this contrast are:

Rather

Instead

1:14b

when by his own evil desires

when his own evil desires
when a person himself desires to sin.
because of their own evil desires.

his own evil desires: The Greek noun that the BSB translates as evil desires generally refers to any wish or desire. However, in this context, it is clearly a sinful desire. For example:

wrong desire (NJB)

In some languages, it is more natural to translate this noun as a verb. For example:

he himself desires/wants to do evil

Notice that the word desires here is personified. In other words, desires are said to do things just like a person does. In some languages, it is not natural to say that “evil desires something.” In other words, in these languages, we cannot say that our own “desires” urge or entice us to do something. If your language is like that, you may want to avoid the personification. One way to do this is:

When he himself desires to do evil

1:14c

he is lured away and enticed.

attract/lure him and try to persuade him to sin.
It is like when an animal is attracted and lured to a trap.
It is as if someone/something is pulling/dragging them to do evil.

lured away and enticed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as lured away literally means “pulled/lured out.” The Greek word that the BSB translates as enticed literally means “attracted with a bait.” In this context, it means “attracted.”

These two Greek words are related metaphors. In this metaphor, the way that a person’s evil desires tempt him to sin is compared to the way a hunter catches a wild animal. One way that they are similar is that both the person and the wild animal are attracted to do something that is not good for them to do.

There are at least three ways to translate these metaphors:

Keep the metaphors. For example:
he is lured and enticed (ESV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
like when they use bait to attract an animal and lure it to a trap
Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
attract him and try to persuade him to sin

These two Greek words are also a doublet. This means that the two words mean basically the same thing. The reason for saying the same thing in two different ways is to intensify the meaning. If it is not natural to use doublets in your language, you may use one expression and intensify it. For example:

which can be enormously attractive (JBP)

he is increasingly attracted to do evil

he is enticed more and more to sin

General Comment on 1:14a–c

These verse parts contain three passive verbs (tempted, dragged, enticed). There are at least two ways to translate them:

Use passive verbs. For example:
But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. (NET)
Use active verbs. For example:
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. (NLT)
A person’s own evil desires tempt him and entice him and drag him away.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

James is using the word But to indicate a contrast between the wrong idea that God might tempt someone and the truth that each person is tempted by his own desire. This is actually a strong contrast, and you may wish to use a strong expression for it. Alternate translation: [No, on the contrary,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἕκαστος & πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

each & ˓is_being˒_tempted (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express these passive phrases by stating each of these things with active verbal forms. Alternate translation: [each person’s own desire tempts him by enticing him and then dragging him away]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἕκαστος & πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

James is speaking of desire as if it were a living thing that could actively tempt people, entice them, and drag them away captive. Alternate translation: [each person wants to do wrong when he desires something that he should not desire and, because he is attracted to that thing, he commits sin and then cannot stop sinning]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / events

ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

˓being˒_drawn_away (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

Since the word translated as enticed often means to use bait to trap prey, James may be stressing the result (the captured prey being dragged away) by speaking of it before the method that was used to achieve it (baiting a trap). It may be helpful to your readers to indicate that the method came before the result. Alternate translation: [enticed and dragged away] or [dragged away after being enticed]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος

˓being˒_drawn_away (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἕκαστος Δέ πειράζεται ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καί δελεαζόμενος)

James is speaking of temptation as if the person who gave in to it were captured in a baited trap. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could translate this metaphor as a simile. It may also be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [It is as if the wrong thing he desired were bait in a trap that caught him so that a hunter could then drag him away]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear YAC (JAM) 1:14

SR Greek word order