[B-Greek] James 1:4 and imperatives

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Dec 31 13:32:19 EST 2003


> Thank you for your help with James 1:3. I find James to have
> different Greek than I am used to. The first part of James 1:4 reads:
>
> hH DE hUPOMONH ERGON TELEION ECETW
>
> My question concerns the imperative. I would translate this, "Now
> *let* endurance *have* perfect work" or "Now endurance *must
> have* perfect work. The typical translation of a present
> imperative third person singular verb is like this (how I have
> learned): ECETW- let he/she/it have. This is confusing to me,
> because it sounds like: *you* let he/she/it have. But this is a
> active and third person. My first translation sounds like you are
> allowing endurance have perfect work. Is this right? Or is the
> sense more like my second translation, giving an statement that
> endurance must have perfect work? I am not as concerned about
> this verse as I am understanding the third person imperative
> (active and also mp, middle, and passive). I would be glad if
> someone would help me understand this and/or point me to some
> online resources.
>
> Jonathan Colby

Since English does not have a third person imperative, it is a bit hard to
get a feeling for it. It may help to think of the specificity cline in
pronouns. The first person is the most specific. Nothing is more specific
than "I". The second person is less specific, and the third person is even
less specific. Also, the singular forms are more specific than the plurals.

The author could have used a second person imperative with a fairly similar
effect, but the third person imperative fits with a general statement.
Second person imperative is: You should! Third person is: One should!
Compare with some of the other third person imperatives in James (there are
15 singular 3.ps. imperatives in James, no plurals):

1:5 If anyone lacks wisdom, AITEITW (let him ask, he should ask, he needs
to/ought to ask)
1:6 AITEITW DE EN PISTEI (but he should ask in faith)
1:13 MHDEIS PEIRAZOMENOS LEGETW (No one who is being tempted, should say...)
1:19 ESTW DE PAS ANQRWPOS TACUS EIS TO AKOUSAI (every person should be quick
to listen)
3:13 DEIXATW EK THS KALHS ANASTROFHS TA ERGA AUTOU EN PRAUTHTI SOFIAS (NET:
By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that
wisdom brings.)
etc.

Coming back to 1:4, your first option is best: "let endurance have its
complete action" or "let endurance complete its work." . "perfect" is rarely
the best translation of TELEIOS which is more like "mature", "complete" or
"reaching the goal". It is various trials and testings that produce
endurance, but it is not enough to endure one trial. Stick to it. Repeated
trials will produce steadfast endurance that ends in maturity and
completeness, as long as one lets endurance "run its course" or "complete
its work".

Iver Larsen




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