James 2:18 - repunctuation for different sense.

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EDEBlieck
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Joined: June 11th, 2012, 1:14 pm

James 2:18 - repunctuation for different sense.

Post by EDEBlieck »

In James 2:18, the text reads:

Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖτις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργαἔχω· δείξον μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.

– but will say someone you faith have and I works have show me the faith ofyou without the works and I you will show from the works of me the faith

This is given in modern translations as -
ESV:

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

NASB:
"But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."


My question is: is it legitimate to punctuate as follows:

Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖτις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις
– But will say someone "You faith have".

κἀγὼ ἔργαἔχω·
And I works have!

δείξον μοι τὴνπίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων κἀγώ σοιδείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.
Show me the faith of you without the works and I you will show from the works of me the faith.

That is, could it be that James is replying to someone who says to him "You have faith..." by retorting, "But I've got works too!"

EDEB
Stephen Carlson
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Re: James 2:18 - repunctuation for different sense.

Post by Stephen Carlson »

It's not really a Greek language question, but how to assign sentences whose individual meaning is fairly clear to different personae.

That being said, the idea that it is James who interjects κἀγὢ ἔργα ἔχω "I've got works too!" seems to me to founder on the fact that nowhere in context has it been established that James's hypothetical interlocutor has claimed to have works in the first place. Indeed, the tenor of vv.14-17 seems to militate against it.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
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