YAC 2:4 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.)

OET (OET-RV) wouldn’t that discrimination show that you have judged them with evil motives.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, 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 have you not distinguished among yourselves and become judges of evil thoughts?

UST This would show that you thought rich people were better than poor people. It would show that you were making your judgments about how to treat people based on evil thinking.

MSB have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges [with] evil thoughts?

BLB then have you not made a distinction among yourselves and have become judges with evil thoughts?

AICNT [and][fn] have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

2:4, and: NA28 BYZ TR ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. ℵ(01) A(02) C(04) NA27 SBLGNT THGNT

OEB Haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves, and used evil standards of judgement?

WEBBE haven’t you shown partiality amongst yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?

LSV you did not judge fully in yourselves, and became ill-reasoning judges.

FBV haven't you discriminated and judged with bad motives?

TCNT have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

T4T Then you have obviously [RHQ] caused divisions in the congregation (OR, you are clearly treating one better than the others, and you are using evil motives/reasons to ◄evaluate people/decide whether people are important or not►).

LEB have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

BBE Is there not a division in your minds? have you not become judges with evil thoughts?

Moff are you not drawing distinctions in your own minds and proving that you judge people with partiality?

Wymth is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts?

ASV do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

DRA Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

YLT ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.

Drby have ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts?

RV are ye not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil thoughts?
(are ye/you_all not divided in your own mind, and become judges with evil thoughts? )

SLT Were ye not separated among yourselves, and become judges of evil reflections?

Wbstr Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

KJB-1769 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
(Are ye/you_all not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? )

KJB-1611 Are yee not then partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
(Are ye/you_all not then partiall in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?)

Bshps Are ye not partiall in your selues, and are made iudges of euyll thoughtes?
(Are ye/you_all not partiall in yourselves, and are made judges of evil thoughts?)

Gnva Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?
(Are ye/you_all not partiall in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? )

Cvdl are ye not parciall in youre selues, and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes?
(are ye/you_all not parciall in yourselves, and have judged after evil thoughts?)

TNT are ye not parciall in youre selves and have iudged after evyll thoughtes?
(are ye/you_all not parciall in your(pl) selves and have judged after evil thoughts? )

Wycl and ben maad domesmen of wickid thouytis?
(and been made judgementsmen of wicked thoughts?)

Luth und bedenket es nicht recht, sondern ihr werdet Richter und machet bösen Unterschied.
(and bedenket it not right, rather you(pl)/their/her become Richter and makes evil Unterschied.)

ClVg nonne judicatis apud vosmetipsos, et facti estis judices cogitationum iniquarum?
(isn't_it judged at you(pl)metipsos, and made you_are judges thoughts unfairrum? )

UGNT οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν?
(ou diekrithaʸte en heautois, kai egenesthe kritai dialogismōn ponaʸrōn?)

SBL-GNT ⸀οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν;
(⸀ou diekrithaʸte en heautois kai egenesthe kritai dialogismōn ponaʸrōn;)

RP-GNT καὶ οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν;
(kai ou diekrithaʸte en heautois, kai egenesthe kritai dialogismōn ponaʸrōn;)

TC-GNT [fn]καὶ οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν;
(kai ou diekrithaʸte en heautois, kai egenesthe kritai dialogismōn ponaʸrōn; )

2:4 και 70.3% ¦ — NA²⁷ PCK SBL TH WH 27.3%

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–13: Believers must avoid favoritism

The theme of this section is that Christians should not treat rich people better than poor people. They should treat everyone with kindness. This is one of the marks of a truly godly person.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Show mercy and honor to poor people and thereby fulfill the royal law of love

Obey the law of love by treating poor people with mercy and honor

Do not discriminate against poor people

Paragraph 2:1–4

In this paragraph, James taught that believers must not favor rich people over poor people.

2:4a–b

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?: This is a rhetorical question. James was not asking for information but making an emphatic statement: “You certainly have discriminated.” He was also implying that they had done some things wrong, and he was rebuking them for it.

Some ways to translate this emphasis and rebuke are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
do you not see that you are discriminating among your members and judging by wrong standards? (REB)
You have discriminated among yourselves. You have become judges with evil thoughts. Why have you done that?
As a statement. For example:
You have certainly done wrong by discriminating among yourselves and becoming judges with evil thoughts.
That is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge. (CEV)

Translate this emphasis and rebuke in the way that is natural in your language for making a strong statement.

2:4a

have you not discriminated among yourselves

you^(plur) have discriminated among yourselves.
If you^(plur) act like that, you show that you think that some people are better than others.
When you^(plur) do that, you certainly show by your actions that you think that the rich people in your congregation are more important than the poor people.

have you not discriminated among yourselves: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as you…discriminated among yourselves means “you think that some people are better than others, and so you treat them better.” By treating the rich and the poor differently, they were creating distinctions within the fellowship of God’s people. The meaning is essentially the same as “show favoritism” in 2:1.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

have you not made distinctions among yourselves (RSV)

You are making some people more important than others (NCV)

You are treating some members of your congregation as if they were better than others

That is the same as saying that some people are better than others (CEV)

2:4b

and become judges with evil thoughts?

You^(plur) have become like judges with evil thoughts/motives. Why have you done that?
You^(plur) are acting like corrupt judges.
You^(plur) have judged/decided that one person is better than another. That is evil.

and become judges with evil thoughts: This is a metaphor. When people in the Christian community discriminated and favored the rich over the poor, they were acting like evil judges.There is also a word play in Greek that strengthens the comparison. When Christians judge in the sense that they discriminate (διακρινω), they are like evil judges (κριτης). Both words are built off the Greek root (κρινω) that means “to judge.” Some ways that these Christian people and judges with evil thoughts are similar are:

both make decisions about who is good/right and who is evil/wrong.
both prefer the rich. They unjustly make decisions that favor the rich.

When Christians act this way, they become like judges who have evil thoughts.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
and you would be acting like a crooked judge (CEV)
you have become like evil judges who mistreat good people
Keep the metaphor as in the BSB. In some languages, it may be necessary to translate the noun “judge” as a verb. For example:
you have become people who have evil thoughts and who judge the rich man better than the poor man
Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
You think that you can decide who is worthy of honor. That is a wrong way of thinking.
you favor the rich because of what you hope to receive from them. That is an evil way of thinking.

This phrase does not mean that these Christians had become judges who sit in a court.

See judge, meaning 1, in the Glossary.

with evil thoughts: The phrase with evil thoughts means evil in their way of thinking. It includes the idea that these people judge with an evil standard. This means that they make decisions based on someone’s wealth and social status. It also means that they decide with evil motives.Some commentators (Moo (2000), page 105; Martin, page 64; McCartney, pages 140 and 144) point out that in a legal context, it is also possible to interpret this as “evil verdicts.” They make decisions based on what they can get, such as a bribe.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

with evil motives (NASB)

using a corrupt standard (GW)

evil/corrupt judges

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὒ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καί ἐγένεσθε κριταί διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν)

In this verse James describes the result of the hypothetical situation he has been describing since [2:2](../02/02.md). It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [Then you have distinguished among yourselves and become judges of evil thoughts.]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὒ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καί ἐγένεσθε κριταί διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [have you not become judges who think evil things and so begun to consider some people better than others]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὒ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καί ἐγένεσθε κριταί διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν)

As James describes this result, he uses the question form for emphasis. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this question by translating his words as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [you have considered some people better than others, because you have become judges who think evil things!]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν

became (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὒ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καί ἐγένεσθε κριταί διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν)

James is using the possessive form to describe judges who are characterized by evil thoughts. He is not speaking of people who judge whether thoughts are evil. Alternate translation: [become judges who think evil things]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν

became (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὒ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καί ἐγένεσθε κριταί διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν)

James is describing something more than passively assuming a certain role and thinking in a certain way. He is describing taking action based on that way of thinking. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [made wrong judgments about how people should be treated and then treated them that way]

Parallel YAC 2:4

Section 2:1–13: Believers must avoid favoritism

Paragraph 2:1–4

2:4a–b

2:4a

2:4b