YAC 2:25 Interlinear View

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).

2:25

In 2:25, James gave a second example from the Old Testament of someone whom God declared to be righteous. This example is about a prostitute called Rahab. Her story is told in the book of Joshua in two parts: Joshua 2:1–24 and Joshua 6:22–25.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that Rahab was considered righteous for what she did.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? (NET)
As a statement. For example:
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was declared to be right with God by what she did when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.
As a statement and a question. For example:
Another example is the prostitute Rahab. She hid some messengers and then helped them escape by another road. She also was declared righteous for what she did, right?

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language. It is best to use wording that is similar to your translation of 2:21.

2:25a

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute

And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also (NET)
It was the same with the prostitute called Rahab.
Another example is Rahab the prostitute.

In the same way: The Greek word that the BSB translates as In the same way introduces another example that is like the example of Abraham.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

Likewise (NRSV)

Similarly

Another example is (NCV)

even: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as even:

It means also. God declared Abraham righteous. He also declared Rahab righteous.The phrase ὁμοίως … καὶ (“In the same way also” or “Likewise also”) is also found in Matthew 27:41; Luke 5:10; 10:32; 1 Corinthians 7:3–4. In each case, it means “also.” For example, the NET says:
was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works (RSV, NJB, ESV, KJV, NASB, REB, NET, NLT, NCV)
It means even. According to this interpretation, this word indicates something unexpected. Here it indicates that Rahab was an unlikely person to be an example of someone who was declared righteous. For example, the CEV says:
Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God… (BSB, NIV, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of versions.

In some languages, the translation of “in the same way” will include the idea of also. For example:

Rahab the prostitute is another example. (NLT)

If that is the case in your language, you will not need to translate this word explicitly.

the prostitute: A prostitute is a woman who has sex with men in exchange for money. In some cultures, the word referring to such a woman may be considered too vulgar or explicit to be read aloud in church. If that is true in your language, translate this word using a more general term. For example:

immoral woman

woman whose reputation was bad

2:25b

justified by her actions

declared to be righteous because of what she did
What caused God to call her a straight/just person? It was because of her good deeds.
God declared/said that she was a righteous/good person as a result of her good actions.

justified by her actions: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as justified by her actions also occurs in 2:21b. You should translate it the same way in both places. (Also, it is almost identical with the phrase in 2:24b.)

by her actions: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as by her actions here is literally “by works” (as in the RSV). Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

because of what she did

because of her good deeds

This phrase also occurs in 2:21b.

2:25c

when she welcomed the spies

when she received into her house the spies,
She welcomed the spies into her home (NCV)
Her good actions were that she hid the Israelites who secretly came to investigate her town.

when she welcomed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as welcomed means “received someone” or “welcomed someone into one’s house.” In this context, it also means “provided a place to stay and hide from the people who wanted to kill them.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

when she hid those messengers (NLT)

She welcomed the spies into her home (NCV)

when she gave shelter to those messengers and hid them

the spies: The Greek word that the BSB translates as spies is literally “messengers” (as in the RSV). In this context, it refers to men who were secretly looking at a town they hoped to conquer. Then they returned to report back to their commander.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

Israelites who secretly came to investigate her town

Jewish men sent to secretly inspect her town to see the best way to attack it

2:25d

and sent them off on another route?

and then sent them off by another way?
and then showed them a different way to leave.
Then she caused them to leave another way so that their enemies would not find them.

sent them off on another route: In Joshua 2:15–16, Rahab helped the spies escape by:

hanging a rope out of her window that they used to descend outside the city wall.
counseling them to go into the hills and hide for three days before they returned home.

The Greek word that the BSB translates as route can refer to a “road” or more figuratively a “way.” A number of English versions translate this word as “road”. (See the GNT, NLT, for example.) However, in this context it more likely refers to letting the spies out of the window by a rope.Support for understanding the word in this way includes:(a) The Greek verb, ἐκβάλλω (throw/cast/drive out, send away), goes better with the descent out the window than simply traveling home by a different road.(b) The Greek word ἕτερος (translated as “different” or “other”) usually refers to “other/another” of a different kind rather than of the same kind. So it goes better with going out of the window as opposed to the gate rather than taking one road as opposed to another road. (Contrast Matthew 2:12 where αλλος is used instead of ἕτερος.)(c) The common Greek idiom for taking a road uses the preposition e¸v followed by “road” in the accusative case. In this verse, “another way/road” is in the dative case. (See, for example, Matthew 10:5, 22:10.)(d) According to Joshua 2:16, Rahab did not counsel the spies to return by a different road. She counseled them to go off the road into the hills to escape notice for three days before returning home (presumably by the same road by which they came). Or, this word may refer to both escaping out of the window and then hiding in the hills.

If you have a word or phrase that can refer to both escaping out of the window and going into the hills, you could use it here. Otherwise be sure that your translation can refer to the spies going out of the window.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

sent them out by another way (NASB)

showed them a different way to leave (NJB)

helped them to escape by getting out of the city in/by an unusual/secret way

Some people are not familiar with this Old Testament story. So you may have to make some of the information explicit. For example:

Then she sent them home a different way so that their enemies would not find them.

General Comment on 2:25a–d

In some languages, it may be clearer to say what Rahab did before saying that God considered her righteous because of it. For example:

^25aAnother example is Rahab the prostitute. ^25cWhen Israelite spies came to her town, she welcomed them. ^25dAnd she advised them to depart another way. ^25bIt was because of what she did at that time that God considered her also to be a righteous person.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους, καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα?

likewise (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁμοίως Δέ καί Ῥαάβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ὑποδεξαμένη τούς ἀγγέλους καί ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα)

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: [Rahab the prostitute was also justified similarly from works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by another road.]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὁμοίως & καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ & ἐδικαιώθη

likewise & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁμοίως Δέ καί Ῥαάβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ὑποδεξαμένη τούς ἀγγέλους καί ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα)

If your language does not use this passive form, you can express this with an active form, and you can state who did the action. Alternate translation: [did not God similarly justify Rahab the prostitute] or [did not God similarly declare Rahab the prostitute to be righteous]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁμοίως

likewise

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly what similarly means in this context. Alternate translation: [in the same way as Abraham,]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐξ ἔργων

by works

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun works with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: [by what she did]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους, καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα

˓having˒_welcomed (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁμοίως Δέ καί Ῥαάβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ὑποδεξαμένη τούς ἀγγέλους καί ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα)

James assumes that his readers will know that he is referring to the episode recorded in the book of Joshua in which Joshua sent two spies to explore the land of Canaan. Rahab provided safety and shelter for these spies in her home, and she then sent them away safely by a route that their pursuers would not have expected them to take. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could give an explicit indication of this. Alternate translation: [when she provided shelter and safety in her home for the spies whom Joshua sent to explore the land of Canaan and when she sent these spies safely away by a route that their pursuers would not have expected them to take]

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

ἐκβαλοῦσα

˓having˒_sent_forth

Since there were two messengers, the pronoun them would be in the dual, if your language uses that form.

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) 2:25

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