YAC 4:17 Interlinear View

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

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. εἰδότι
2. eidō
3. to having known one
4. -
5. 14920
6. VPEA·DMS
7. ˱to˲ ˓having˒ known ‹one›
8. ˱to˲ ˓having˒ known ‹one›
9. -
10. Y60; F148043; F148049
11. 148040
1. Οὖν
2. oun
3. Therefore
4. -
5. 37670
6. C·······
7. therefore
8. therefore
9. S
10. Y60
11. 148041
1. καλόν
2. kalos
3. good
4. good
5. 25700
6. S····ANS
7. good
8. good
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148042
1. ποιεῖν
2. poieō
3. to be doing
4. -
5. 41600
6. VNPA····
7. ˓to_be˒ doing
8. ˓to_be˒ doing
9. -
10. Y60; R148040
11. 148043
1. ποιῆσαι
2. poieō
3. -
4. -
5. 41600
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ do
8. ˓to˒ do
9. -
10. -
11. 148044
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. but
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148045
1. μή
2. mē
3. not
4. -
5. 33610
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148046
1. ποιοῦντι
2. poieō
3. doing it
4. -
5. 41600
6. VPPA·DMS
7. doing ‹it›
8. doing ‹it›
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148047
1. ἁμαρτία
2. hamartia
3. sin
4. -
5. 2660
6. N····NFS
7. sin
8. sin
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148048
1. αὐτῷ
2. autos
3. to him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DMS
7. ˱to˲ him
8. ˱to˲ him
9. -
10. Y60; R148040
11. 148049
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. it is
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˱it˲ is
8. ˱it˲ is
9. -
10. Y60
11. 148050

OET (OET-RV) Any person who knows that there’s some good thing that they should be doing, but doesn’t do it, is sinning.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:13–17: Trust in the Lord and not in yourselves

In this section, James rebuked the merchants who made plans to get rich but did not think about God. It is not clear whether or not the people whom James was denouncing belonged to the Christian community. It may be that among the Jewish traders of the time there were some who claimed to follow Christ but were not living as they should. On the other hand, there were no doubt many rich traders and merchants outside the church (see the references to “the rich” in 2:6–7), and James’ words would have served as a warning to Christians not to desire to follow their example.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Don’t Brag About Your Plans for the Future (GW)

Warning against Boasting (GNT)

Paragraph 4:13–17

James described the way traders made plans to get rich (4:13). Then he explained that those who think like that are ignoring God (4:14). He told them that instead they ought to submit to the Lord’s will (4:15). He reminded them that their behavior was arrogant (4:16) and warned them that God considered it sinful (4:17).

4:17b

yet fails to do it,

and does not do it,
but does not behave like that,

4:17

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin: In this sentence, James warned people to behave properly. He stated the warning in general terms, but he was probably warning people against making plans with a boastful attitude (4:13–16). He wanted people to be humble when they made plans for the future.Commentators disagree on what James is talking about. There are three interpretations:(1) The verse refers to the topic of making plans with a boastful attitude (4:13–16). In this context doing the good he ought to do means being humble when making plans, as James recommended in 4:15. (Interpretation (1) is followed by Alford, page 319; Adamson (1976), page 181; Hiebert, page 280; Moo (1985), page 158.(2) In the good he ought to do the idea of “doing good” means doing good deeds (see chapter 2). The traders were guilty of trying to make a profit for themselves instead of sharing it with the poor. (Interpretation (2) is followed by Laws, page 193.)(3) The statement does not refer particularly to this paragraph, but to all the teaching that James has given so far. (Interpretation (3) is followed by Mayor, page 147; Mitton, page 172; and apparently by RSV since that version omits the connecting word then.)All three of these interpretations are supported by different commentators. However, three points show that James meant this verse to be understood together with the verses before it (4:13–16), as in interpretation (1).First, the verse has a connecting word in the Greek, translated then. Secondly, the word good is the opposite of the word “evil” in 4:16. Thirdly, if James wanted this statement to apply to all his teaching, he would have put it near the end of chapter 5.Interpretation (1) is recommended because it is the only interpretation in which this verse is understood together with 4:13–16.

Some other ways to translate this verse are:

Therefore, the person who knows the good thing to do in this situation, but he does not do it, he has sinned.

You know what is the right thing to do in this matter. So if you do not do it, you have sinned.

4:17a

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do,

So, the person who knows the right thing to do
Therefore, if someone knows the right way to behave in this matter

Anyone…who knows: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Anyone who knows refers to people in general. Use whichever word is appropriate when warning people in your language. For example:

Whoever knows (GW)

we know (GNT)

you know (CEV)

then: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as then here introduces the conclusion of all that James wrote in 4:13–16. Some other ways to translate this conjunction are:

So then (GNT)

So (NET)

Therefore

knows the right thing to do: The phrase the right thing to do refers to doing what is right. It probably refers to acting in a humble way when planning for the future.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

knows what is right to do (RSV)

the good he ought to do (NIV)

4:17c

is guilty of sin.

he is guilty of sin.
that person has done evil.

is guilty of sin: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as is guilty of sin is literally “to him it is sin.” This is an Old Testament expression.Deuteronomy 15:9; 23:21–22; 24:15. The meaning is “it is counted against him by God as sin.” In other words, God considers him guilty of committing a sin.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

sins (NIV)

commits sin (NRSV)

This word also occurs in 1:15b. See the note there for more details.

uW Translation Notes:

εἰδότι οὖν καλὸν ποιεῖν, καὶ μὴ ποιοῦντι, ἁμαρτία αὐτῷ ἐστιν

˱to˲_˓having˒_known_‹one› (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰδότι Οὖν καλόν ποιεῖν καί μή ποιοῦντι ἁμαρτία αὐτῷ ἐστίν)

James is using the word Therefore to describe a further inference rather than a conclusion. He is saying that if it is wrong to plan to do things without knowing whether God wants you to do them, then it is also wrong not to do things that you do know God wants. Alternate translation: [From this we can also recognize that if someone does know what God wants him to do but he does not do it, then he is also sinning]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

4:17 Remember: This verse is probably a maxim that James expected his readers to recognize. Its source is unknown, but it is consistent with the teaching of Scripture (cp. Deut 24:15; Prov 3:27-28; Matt 25:41-46; Luke 12:47).

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) 4:17