YAC 3:1 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: Believers must be careful what they say

In this section, James warned believers to be careful with their speech. When believers do not control what they say, it can have a devastating, evil impact. This was an especially serious danger for those who taught others in the church. James reinforced his warning with a series of comparisons or illustrations to show how important it is that Christians control their speech.

Introduction

3:1–2a: Becoming a teacher in the church is a serious thing to do

The tongue is compared to small things which have large effects

3:2b–3	A small bit can turn a horse
3:4–5c	A small rudder can turn a sailing ship
3:5d–6	A small fire can destroy much
3:7–8	Animals can be tamed but not our tongues

Each of us should be consistent in using our tongue for good

3:9–10	The tongue should not be used for both blessing and cursing
3:11	Springs produce one kind of water
3:12	Trees produce one kind of fruit

Some other possible headings for this section are:

We must control our speechTranslator’s Handbook on James, page 100.

Controlling the things we say (NCV)

Paragraph 3:1

This paragraph introduces this next section. James warned that it is a serious matter when a person becomes a teacher in the church.

3:1a

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers,

¶ My brothers, not many of you^(plur) should become religious teachers,
¶ My fellow believers, only a few of you^(plur) should teach others in the church.

Not many of you should become teachers: In Greek, this sentence is literally “be not many teachers.” Many ambitious people wanted to have the honor of being a religious teacher. However, James told them that not all of them should be eager to become teachers.

Some other ways to translate this sentence are:

not many of you should become teachers in the church (NLT)

we should not all try to become teachers (CEV)

only a few of you should try to become teachers

Not many of you: The phrase Not many of you means “only some of you,” or “only a few of you.” Most of James’ readers should not try to become teachers.

teachers: The word teachers refers to those who had authority to teach in the church. They instructed other Christians in the meaning of what God had said in his word and how they should live.

Here the word teachers does not refer to a teacher in a school. This word refers only to people who teach the word of God and the good news about Jesus Christ. If many people in your area would confuse this and think of teachers of other subjects, then it may be necessary to make explicit what the teachers teach in this context. For example:

teachers in the church (NLT)

people who teach the word of God

people who teach the Christian faith/belief

my brothers: The phrase my brothers refers to other believers in Christ to whom James was writing. In the time of James, all the teachers were men. So here, this phrase does not include women as it does in 1:2a, 1:16, 1:19a, 2:1a, 2:5a, and 2:14a.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

My fellow believers

My Christian friends

My relatives in Christ

Here James used the phrase my brothers to introduce the topic of the need for believers to control their speech. If you have another way in your language to introduce a change of topic, you may use it here.

Notice that the BSB places the phrase my brothers in the middle of 3:1. This follows the Greek text. In some languages, it may be more natural to place it at the beginning. For example:

My friends, not many of you should become teachers… (REB)

This same phrase occurs in 1:2a.

3:1b

because you know that

because you^(plur) know that
You^(plur) already know that

because you know that: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as because you know that is literally “knowing that.” This phrase introduces the reason for the statement in 3:1a. In some languages, it will be natural to follow the example of the BSB.

Some other ways to translate the phrase “knowing that” are:

you know (RSV)

Remember (JBP)

you may be certain (REB)

3:1c

we who teach will be judged more strictly.

we^(excl) teachers will be judged more strictly than others.
God will evaluate/examine us^(excl) who teach God’s word more severely/harshly than those who are not teachers.

we who teach: The word we refers to all teachers of God’s word. It includes James. It does not include all of James’ readers.

will be judged more strictly: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as will be judged more strictly means “will be examined and punished according to a stricter standard.” This refers to the day when God will judge all human beings. Teachers in the church will be judged more strictly than those who are not teachers. God will judge what they teach and how well their actions correspond to what they teach.

Here, the word judged does not refer to God judging unbelievers and condemning them eternally to hell.

Some ways to translate this are:

will be judged by a much higher standard (JBP)

will be evaluated/assessed more strictly than those who are not teachers

will receive more severe punishment if we fail

The BSB uses a passive verb. Some ways to translate this word are:

Use a passive verb. For example:
will be judged with greater strictness than others (GNT)
Use an active verb. For example:
God will judge us more strictly
Translate judged as a noun. For example:
will receive more severe judgment

uW Translation Notes:

μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή πολλοί διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε ἀδελφοί μού εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα)

Alternate translation: [Not many of you should become teachers]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀδελφοί μου

brothers (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή πολλοί διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε ἀδελφοί μού εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα)

See how you translated the term brothers in [1:2](../01/02.md). Alternate translation: [my fellow believers]

εἰδότες ὅτι

˓having˒_known that

Alternate translation: [since you know that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα

greater judgment ˱we˲_˓will_be˒_receiving

James is speaking of himself and other teachers but not of his readers, so the pronoun we is exclusive here. Alternate translation: [we who teach will receive greater judgment]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα

greater judgment ˱we˲_˓will_be˒_receiving

By greater judgment, James means that God will judge people who teach his word more strictly than he will judge other people. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate explicitly why that is true. Alternate translation: [God will judge us who teach his word more strictly than he will judge other people, because our teaching greatly influences what other people believe and how they live]

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.