YAC 1:23 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—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
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 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding the face of his birth in a mirror.

UST Now some people hear God’s message, but they do not do what it says. Those people are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror.

BLB because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror,

AICNT For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror;

OEB For, when anyone listens to it and does not practice it, they are like a person looking at their own face in a mirror.

WEBBE For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(22-24)Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

NET For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror.

LSV because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one has been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,

FBV If you just listen to the word, and don't act on it, it's like staring at your own face in a mirror.

TCNT For if anyone is a hearer of the [fn]word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror.

1:23 word ¦ law PCK

T4T Some people hear God’s message but do not do what it says [MET]. They are like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [SIM].

LEB because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone[fn] staring at _⌊his own face_⌋[fn] in a mirror,

1:23 Literally “a man,” but clearly in a generic sense here meaning “someone, a person”

1:23 Literally “the face of his existence”

BBE Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass;

Moff For whoever listens and does nothing, is like a man who glances at his natural face in a mirror;

Wymth For if any one listens but does not obey, he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror.

ASV For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

DRA For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass.

YLT because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,

Drby For if any man be a hearer of [the] word and not a doer, he is like to a man considering his natural face in a mirror:

RV For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

SLT For if any is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man observing the face of his creation in a mirror:

Wbstr For if any is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

KJB-1769 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

KJB-1611 For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like vnto a man beholding his naturall face in a glasse:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps For yf any be a hearer of the worde, and not a doer, he is lyke vnto a man beholdyng his bodyly face in a glasse:
(For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his bodyly face in a glass:)

Gnva For if any heare the woorde, and doe it not, he is like vnto a man, that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse.
(For if any hear the word, and do it not, he is like unto a man, that beholdeth/beholds his natural face in a glass. )

Cvdl For yf eny heare the worde, and do it not, he is like vnto a ma that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse.
(For if any hear the word, and do it not, he is like unto a man that beholdeth/beholds his bodily face in a glass.)

TNT For yf eny heare the worde and do it not he is lyke vnto a man that beholdeth his bodyly face in a glasse.
(For if any hear the word and do it not he is like unto a man that beholdeth/beholds his bodyly face in a glass. )

Wycl For if ony man is an herere of the word, and not a doere, this schal be licned to a man that biholdith the cheer of his birthe in a mirour;
(For if any man is an herere of the word, and not a doer, this shall be likened to a man that beholdeth/beholds the face of his birth in a mirour;)

Luth Denn so jemand ist ein Hörer des Worts und nicht ein Täter, der ist gleich einem Mann, der sein leiblich Angesicht im Spiegel beschauet;
(Because so someone is a hearer the word and not a Täter, the/of_the is even on man, the/of_the be leiblich face in_the Spiegel looked_at;)

ClVg Quia si quis auditor est verbi, et non factor, hic comparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suæ in speculo:[fn]
(Because when/but_if who/any I_hearr it_is words, and not/no doner, this/here comparabitur to_the_man consideranti face birth his/her_own in/into/on speculo: )

1.23 Consideranti vultum. Qui proponit in animo suo considerare in Scripturis quasi in speculo vultum nativitatis, qualiter homo sit natus, quam fragilis, vel quid futurus, quam brevis ævi, in quantis miseriis positus, compunctionem magnam et voluntatem pœnitendi contraxit; sed statim, aliqua tentatione seductus, obliviscitur compunctionis, et ad peccata redit. Hujus inconstantiæ comparat eum qui libenter verbum audit, et implere negligit. Et est similitudo inter illum qui sponte sua, sine doctore se ad Scripturas applicuit, et illum qui ab alio Scripturas audit, cum neuter impleverit. Puer cum nascitur vagit, per quod indicatur dolor animæ, et quod in vita intrat ad miserias carnis, quem dolorem postea obliviscitur, consueta illecebris carnis anima.

1.23 Consideranti face. Who proponit in/into/on in_mind his_own to_consider in/into/on Scripturis as_if in/into/on speculo face birth, how/as human be born, how fragilis, or what to_be, how shortlys ævi, in/into/on quantis miserableis placed, compunctionem great and will pœnitendi contraxit; but immediately, some temptation seductus, forgets compunctionis, and to sins returns. Huyus inconstantiæ compares him who/which willingly the_word/saying listens, and to_fill neglects. And it_is similarity between him who/which voluntarily his_own, without doctore himself to Scriptures applicuit, and him who/which away another Scriptures listens, when/with neuter fulfilled. Puer when/with is_born wandert, through that indicatur pain soul, and that in/into/on life enters to miserys of_flesh, which pain afterwards forgets, consueta he/that_onecebris of_flesh soul.

UGNT ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν, καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ.
(hoti ei tis akroataʸs logou estin, kai ou poiaʸtaʸs, houtos eoiken andri katanoounti to prosōpon taʸs geneseōs autou en esoptrōi.)

SBL-GNT ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ,
(hoti ei tis akroataʸs logou estin kai ou poiaʸtaʸs, houtos eoiken andri katanoounti to prosōpon taʸs geneseōs autou en esoptrōi,)

RP-GNT Ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ·
(Hoti ei tis akroataʸs logou estin kai ou poiaʸtaʸs, houtos eoiken andri katanoounti to prosōpon taʸs geneseōs autou en esoptrōi;)

TC-GNT Ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς [fn]λόγου ἐστὶ καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ·
(Hoti ei tis akroataʸs logou esti kai ou poiaʸtaʸs, houtos eoiken andri katanoounti to prosōpon taʸs geneseōs autou en esoptrōi; )

1:23 λογου ¦ νομου PCK

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:19–27: Believers should accept the word of God and obey it

In this section, James emphasized the importance of obeying the word of God. There are three paragraphs: 1:19–21, 1:22–25, and 1:26–27.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Hearing and Doing the Word (ESV)

Christians must listen to God’s message and obey it (UBS)

Paragraph 1:22–25

Believers must not forget the word of God that they had heard. They must do/obey it.

1:23a–24b

This is a type of comparison called a simile. In this simile, a man who listens to the word (in 1:23a–b) is compared to a man who looks at his face in a mirror (in 1:23c–24b). Some ways that they are similar are that:

they both realize something about themselves that they ought to act on
they carelessly neglect to do anything about it

Part of what is similar is implied but not stated in this comparison. If what is similar is not clear, then it may be necessary to include some of the implied information in your translation. For example:

^23aFor anyone who hears the word ^23bbut does not carry it out ^23cis like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ^24aand after observing something he should do, ^24bgoes away and immediately forgets/neglects to do anything about it.

1:23a

For anyone who hears the word

If anyone is a hearer of the word
Whoever hears the word of God
I give this command because if you^(plur) listen to the good news

1:23b

but does not carry it out

and not a doer,
but does not obey what it commands,
and do not follow it,

1:23a–b

In Greek and the BSB, this verse begins with a conjunction that means “for” or “because.” This conjunction introduces the basis for James’ command in 1:22. Most English versions do not translate this conjunction. Consider whether you need a conjunction or phrase in your language to make the relationship between 1:22 and 1:23 clear.

For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out: In Greek, this clause is literally, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer.” Translate “hearer” and “doer” in the same way in which you translated them in 1:22.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says (GW)

If you hear the message and don’t obey it (CEV)

1:23c

is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,

he is like someone who carefully looks at his face in a mirror,
you^(plur) are like someone who looks at a reflection of his own face.

is like: The Greek word that the BSB translates as is like means “to be similar to.” The person in 1:23a–b is compared to the person in 1:23c–24b.

a man: The Greek word that the BSB translates as a man here means “someone.” It normally refers to a male, but in this context the word introduces a general statement that is true of either a man or a woman (as in 1:12a).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

someone (NET)

a person (GW)

who looks at his face in a mirror: The Greek word that the BSB translates as looks at means “to look at something so as to notice what it is like.” The person does not just give a quick glance at his image in the mirror. He looks carefully enough to observe what his face is like.See the discussion in Adamson (1989), page 407.

Some other ways to translate this are:

carefully looks at himself in a mirror

observes his reflection

his face: The Greek expression that the BSB translates as his face is literally “the face of his existence/origin.” It apparently means his physical face, his face in its natural state.Commentators are divided on whether they understand γενέσεως to mean here “birth” or “existence.” It can hardly mean “birth,” since a person looking in a mirror sees a rather different face from the one he had at birth. Hort, page 39, cites a late Greek writer Eustathius who uses almost the same phrase to indicate the original face, or ordinary face of a person, in contrast to the face when it is loaded with cosmetics. For example:

his natural face (RSV)

This perhaps indicates that his face was dirty or he needed to trim his beard, or the woman needed to adjust her make-up. The person saw that he needed to correct something about his appearance but was foolish and did nothing about it (1:24a–b).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν, καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι εἰ τὶς ἀκροατής λόγου ἐστίν καί οὒ ποιητής οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρί κατανοοῦντι τό πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ)

James is using a hypothetical situation to teach. Alternate translation: [Suppose someone is a hearer of the word and not a doer. Then he is like a man beholding the face of his birth in a mirror]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν, καὶ οὐ ποιητής

At the end of this clause, James is leaving out some of the words that it would need in many languages in order to be complete. These words can be supplied from earlier in the clause. Alternate translation: [is a hearer of the word and not a doer of the word]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν, καὶ οὐ ποιητής

See how you translated these expressions in the previous verse. Alternate translation: [just listens to the word but does not obey it]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

λόγου

˱of˲_˓the˒_word

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

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ

this_‹one› ˓is˒_like (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι εἰ τὶς ἀκροατής λόγου ἐστίν καί οὒ ποιητής οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρί κατανοοῦντι τό πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ)

Here James begins a simile, an illustrative comparison, that continues through the next two verses.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀνδρὶ

James is using the term man in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: [a person]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ

This is an idiom that refers to the face a person was born with, that is, that person’s natural or physical face. Since the term “face” had many figurative meanings at this time, James is using this idiomatic expression to clarify that he means the hypothetical person’s literal, physical face. You may not need to make this clarification in your language. Alternate translation: [his physical face] or [his face]

Note 8 topic: translate-unknown

ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ

in ˓a˒_mirror

A mirror is a flat object made of some reflective material, such as glass or polished metal, that people use to see what they look like. If your readers would not be familiar with what a mirror is, you could use the name of something else that serves this purpose in your culture. Alternate translation: [reflected in the water]