YAC 2:20 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. θέλεις
2. thelō
3. you are wanting
4. -
5. 23090
6. VIPA2··S
7. ˱you˲ ˓are˒ wanting
8. ˱you˲ ˓are˒ wanting
9. -
10. Y60; R147275
11. 147271
1. Δέ
2. de
3. But
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y60
11. 147272
1. γνῶναι
2. ginōskō
3. to know
4. know
5. 10970
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ know
8. ˓to˒ know
9. -
10. Y60; R147275
11. 147273
1. ὦ
2. ō
3. Oh
4. -
5. 55990
6. I·······
7. Oh
8. O
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147274
1. ἄνθρωπε
2. anthrōpos
3. person
4. person
5. 4440
6. N····VMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. Y60; F147271; F147273; F147289
11. 147275
1. κενέ
2. kenos
3. vain
4. -
5. 27560
6. A····VMS
7. vain
8. vain
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147276
1. ὅτι
2. hoti
3. that
4. -
5. 37540
6. C·······
7. that
8. that
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147277
1. ἡ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NFS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147278
1. πίστις
2. pistis
3. faith
4. faith
5. 41020
6. N····NFS
7. faith
8. faith
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147279
1. χωρίς
2. χōris
3. apart from
4. -
5. 55650
6. P·······
7. apart_from
8. apart_from
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147280
1. τῶν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GNP
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147281
1. ἔργων
2. ergon
3. works
4. -
5. 20410
6. N····GNP
7. works
8. works
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147282
1. ἀργή
2. argos
3. idle
4. -
5. 6920
6. S····NFS
7. idle
8. idle
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147283
1. νεκρά
2. nekros
3. -
4. -
5. 34980
6. S····NFS
7. dead
8. dead
9. -
10. -
11. 147284
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. is
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. is
8. is
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147285

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:14–26: Faith without good deeds is useless

In this section, James emphasized that true faith in Jesus is a matter of both believing and doing good deeds. There is no such thing as faith without good deeds to go with it. It is the good deeds that demonstrate that there is true faith. Faith without good deeds is not true faith at all.

James used examples from the lives of Rahab and Abraham to show that faith and good deeds always go together.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Faith and good deeds

If you really believe/trust you will also do good deeds

Real faith is proved by good deeds.

Paragraph 2:20–26

In this paragraph, James gave two examples to show his readers that faith without deeds is useless. He used the examples of Abraham and Rahab from the Old Testament. He argued that it was because of their deeds that both Abraham and Rahab were declared righteous by God.

Throughout section 2:14–26, James was contrasting faith without deeds (for example, 2:14, 2:17, 2:18) with faith demonstrated by deeds (2:18). In this paragraph, when James said that Abraham was declared to be righteous “by deeds,” it does not mean by deeds alone. It is implied that Abraham had faith and that this faith was demonstrated by deeds. You may want to put some of this information in the translation or in a footnote. Some suggestions are in the notes on “for what he did” (2:21b) and “by his deeds” (2:24b).

2:20

O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?: This is a rhetorical question. It has two functions. First, it is a rebuke. James was rebuking anyone who thought that it was possible to have true faith without doing good deeds. The second function of this rhetorical question is to introduce the examples that James was about to give from the Old Testament (2:21–25).

Some ways to translate this rebuke are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? (GW)
As a statement. For example:
You fool! Surely you do not need me to show you that faith without good deeds is worthless.
You fool! I will prove/show to you that faith without good deeds is useless. Here are two examples.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.

2:20a

O foolish man, do you want evidence that

¶ You^(sing) fool! Do you need proof that
¶ You^(sing) are not thinking well/carefully! Can you not see/understand that
¶ It is crazy for you^(plur) to think that

O foolish man: The Greek word that the BSB translates as foolish literally means “empty.” Here it is used figuratively to describe a person who has “empty” thoughts. In other words, it is a person who does not think wisely and correctly. This person could be a man or a woman.

In this verse, James rebuked the person who disagreed with him. So in Greek, the pronoun man is singular. However, James was also rebuking anyone who believed that it was possible to have faith without good deeds. So, in some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural form “men” or “people” here.

Use a term that is natural in your language for a mild rebuke.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

You stupid person

You crazy/mad people

You^(sing) are not thinking carefully

You^(plur) are not being wise

Do you still not understand?

do you want evidence: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as do you want evidence is literally “do you want to know?” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Do you want to be shown (GNT)

Must you be shown (NCV)

Do you have to be told (REB)

Do I need to show/tell you

Can’t you see (NLT)

2:20b

faith without deeds is worthless?

when you^(sing) have faith/trust but do not do good deeds, such faith is no good?
if a person believes/trusts in Jesus but he does not do good deeds, that type of belief/trust is empty/worthless?
believing in God without doing good deeds is of any use/value.

faith without deeds is worthless: In Greek, the words faith and deeds are nouns. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate these nouns as verbs. For example:

If you believe in Jesus but do no good to show it, what use is that?

it’s useless to believe if you do not do any good to prove it.

deeds: The word deeds is the same word that occurs in 2:14c.

worthless: The Greek word that the BSB translates as worthless here means “without results,” or “unproductive.”The Greek manuscript copies do not all agree at this point. The modern English versions translate a word that means useless, while KJV and footnotes in GNT and NIV follow one that means “dead.” There is not much difference in the meaning, but it is recommended that you follow the UBS Greek text and the reading “useless.” Some other ways to translate this word are:

futile (REB)

worth nothing (NCV)

is of no value/use

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν?

˱you˲_˓are˒_wanting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: θέλεις Δέ γνῶναι ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρίς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστίν)

James is using the question form as a teaching tool. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this question by translating his words as a statement. Alternate translation: [But I can show you, O foolish man, that faith without works is idle.]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

θέλεις & γνῶναι

˱you˲_˓are˒_wanting & ˓to˒_know

This is an idiom. It means “I can show you” by suggesting implicitly, “If you really want to know, I can show you.” Alternate translation as a statement: [I can show you]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ

O person vain

James continues to argue with the hypothetical opponent whom he referred to as “someone” in verse 18. Here he addresses him directly as foolish man. He means by this any foolish person who might argue against what James is saying. He is not addressing any particular foolish man. Use a natural expression in your language. Alternate translation: [any of you who are foolish]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ

O person vain

James is using the term man in a generic sense that could mean any person, male or female. Alternate translation: [you foolish person]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν

¬the faith (Some words not found in SR-GNT: θέλεις Δέ γνῶναι ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρίς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστίν)

James is speaking of faith as if it were a living thing that would be lazily doing nothing if it did not have works. Alternate translation: [a person’s faith is useless if he does not express it through works] or [a person’s faith is unproductive if he does not express it through works]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν

¬the faith (Some words not found in SR-GNT: θέλεις Δέ γνῶναι ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρίς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστίν)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the abstract nouns faith and works by stating the ideas behind them with equivalent expressions. Alternate translation: [it is useless for a person to say that he believes in God if he does not do what God wants him to do]

Note 7 topic: translate-textvariants

ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν

¬the faith (Some words not found in SR-GNT: θέλεις Δέ γνῶναι ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρίς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστίν)

See the discussion of textual issues at the end of the General Notes to this chapter to decide whether to use this reading in your translation or a different reading, [aith without works is dead.] The note below discusses a translation issue in that reading, for those who decide to use it.

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν

¬the faith (Some words not found in SR-GNT: θέλεις Δέ γνῶναι ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρίς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστίν)

If the reading “faith without works is dead” is accurate, then James is speaking of faith as if it would be alive if it had works but it would not be alive if it did not have them. Alternate translation: [a person’s faith is not genuine if he does not express it through works]

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) 2:20

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 2:14–26: Faith without good deeds is useless

Paragraph 2:20–26

2:20

2:20a

2:20b

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