YAC 1:18 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=minor spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Once he had decided it, he created us by his spoken commands so that we’d become a kind of special first ‘harvest’ out of all of his creatures.

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Having willed, he gave birth to us by the word of truth, for us to be something like a firstfruits of his creatures.

UST God became our spiritual father when we trusted in his true message. That was what he wanted to do. So now believers in Jesus have become the first people to experience the kind of relationship with God that many more people will have in the future.

BSB He chose to give us birth through [the] word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.[fn]

BLB Having willed it, He brought us forth by the word of truth, for us to be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

AICNT Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

OEB Because he so willed, he gave us life, through the message of the truth, so that we should be, as it were, a kind of first fruits of his creation.

WEBBE Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(16-18)So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

NET By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

LSV having willed [it], He begot us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

FBV He chose to give us new life through the word of truth, so that out of all his creation we would be very special to him.[fn]

1:18 Usually thought to refer to God's call and provision for us to be born again spiritually.

TCNT Of his own will he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

T4T And because he wanted to help us, he gave us spiritual life as a result of our trusting in his true message. So now we have become the first ones of all the people [MET] that he created to ◄be totally dedicated to/completely belong to► him.

LEB No LEB YAC (JAM) book available

BBE Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.

Moff No Moff YAC (JAM) book available

Wymth In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

ASV Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

DRA For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.

YLT having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

Drby According to his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a certain first-fruits of his creatures.

RV Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. )

SLT Having willed he brought forth by the word of truth, for us to be some first fruit of his creatures.

Wbstr Of his own will he hath begotten us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

KJB-1769 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. )

KJB-1611 Of his owne will begate hee vs, with the word of Trueth, that wee should bee a kinde of first fruites of his creatures.
(Of his own will begat he us, with the word of Trueth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.)

Bshps No Bshps YAC (JAM) book available

Gnva Of his owne will begate hee vs with the woorde of trueth, that we shoulde be as the first fruites of his creatures.
(Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be as the first-fruits of his creatures. )

Cvdl No Cvdl YAC (JAM) book available

TNT Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of lyfe that we shuld be the fyrst frutes of his creatures.
(Of his own will begat he us with the word of life that we should be the first fruits of his creatures. )

Wycl No Wycl YAC (JAM) book available

Luth No Luth YAC (JAM) book available

ClVg Voluntarie enim genuit nos verbo veritatis, ut simus initium aliquod creaturæ ejus.[fn]
(Voluntarie because gave_birth we/us word veritatis, as simus the_beginning aliquod creaturæ his. )

1.18 Voluntarie. Omne bonum est a Deo, et non meritis vestris ad hoc accessistis, sed sola gratia divinæ voluntatis. Ut simus initium, etc. Per hanc genituram non putemus nos esse id quod ipse est, sed quemdam principatum in creaturis, adoptione nobis concessit. Unde alius translator: Ut simus primitiæ creaturarum ejus.

1.18 Voluntarie. Omne good it_is from to_God, and not/no meritis yours to this accessistis, but alone grace divinæ of_will. As simus initium, etc. Per this genituram not/no putemus we/us to_be id that exactly_that/himself it_is, but whichdam principality in/into/on creaturis, adoptione us concessit. Whence another translator: As simus first_fruits creaturarum his.

UGNT βουληθεὶς, ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
(boulaʸtheis, apekuaʸsen haʸmas logōi alaʸtheias, eis to einai haʸmas aparⱪaʸn tina tōn autou ktismatōn.)

SBL-GNT βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
(boulaʸtheis apekuaʸsen haʸmas logōi alaʸtheias, eis to einai haʸmas aparⱪaʸn tina tōn autou ktismatōn.)

RP-GNT Βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
(Boulaʸtheis apekuaʸsen haʸmas logōi alaʸtheias, eis to einai haʸmas aparⱪaʸn tina tōn autou ktismatōn.)

TC-GNT Βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας, εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
(Boulaʸtheis apekuaʸsen haʸmas logōi alaʸtheias, eis to einai haʸmas aparⱪaʸn tina tōn autou ktismatōn. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

βουληθεὶς, ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς

˓having_been˒_wished_‹it› ˱he˲_brought_forth us

Alternate translation: [God chose to give birth to us]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

βουληθεὶς, ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς

˓having_been˒_wished_‹it› ˱he˲_brought_forth us

James says that God gave birth to us because God gives spiritual life to everyone who believes in Jesus. Alternate translation: [God chose to give us spiritual life]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμᾶς & ἡμᾶς

us & us

Here and throughout this letter, James uses the pronoun us to refer to himself and his readers. Sometimes by extension he also means all believers or all people. In every case, therefore, the pronoun us is inclusive, so use the inclusive form if your language makes that distinction. The same applies to the pronoun “our.” However, in some cases the pronoun “we” is exclusive. Notes will identify those places. Everywhere else, the pronoun “we” is inclusive.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

λόγῳ ἀληθείας

˱by˲_˓the˒_word ˱of˲_truth

James is using the possessive form to describe a word that is characterized by truth. Alternate translation: [by the true word]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

λόγῳ ἀληθείας

˱by˲_˓the˒_word ˱of˲_truth

James is using term word to describe the message about Jesus that was conveyed by using words. Alternate translation: [by the true message]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

λόγῳ ἀληθείας

˱by˲_˓the˒_word ˱of˲_truth

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the abstract noun truth by translating the idea behind it with an equivalent expression that uses an adjective such as “true.” Alternate translation: [when we believed the true message]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

λόγῳ ἀληθείας

˱by˲_˓the˒_word ˱of˲_truth

James is referring implicitly to the message about Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [when we believed the true message about Jesus]

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων

in_order that to_be us first-fruit ˓a˒_certain ˱of˲_the ˱of˲_him creatures

This is a purpose clause. James is stating the purpose for which God desired to give us birth. In your translation, follow the conventions of your language for purpose clauses. Alternate translation (without a comma preceding): [so that we would be like a firstfruits of his creatures]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων

first-fruit ˓a˒_certain ˱of˲_the ˱of˲_him creatures

James is assuming that his readers will know that he is using the traditional Israelite offering known as firstfruits as a simile. The law of Moses required the Israelites to offer to God some of the first crops they harvested each year. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state specifically that this is the name of an offering. Alternate translation: [something like an offering of firstfruits from among his creatures]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων

first-fruit ˓a˒_certain ˱of˲_the ˱of˲_him creatures

When they offered some of their first crops to God each year, the Israelites were acknowledging that the entire crop belonged to God and was a gift from God to them. James is using this firstfruits offering as a simile to indicate that the believers of his time are an indication that there will be many more people who will belong to God in the future. In fact, since James speaks of creatures, he may even mean that believers in Jesus are the first part of God’s creation to be freed from the curse and come back fully under his rule. Alternate translation: [the first of many people who would believe in Jesus] or [the first of God’s creatures to be freed from the curse and come back fully under his rule]

Parallel YAC 1:18