1:8a
In 1:8a, James continued to describe “the one who doubts/wavers” whom he first mentioned in 1:6b.
He is a double-minded man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as double-minded is literally “double-souled.” This word describes someone who wants to go in two directions at once. He wants to please God, yet at the same time he wants to please the world.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
he has two hearts/minds
-or-
thinking two different things at the same time (New Century Version)
-or-
loyalty is divided between God and the world (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
a person who cannot decide who to obey/follow
-or-
he is not able to make up his mind
If your language has an idiom for this way of thinking, consider if it would be appropriate here.
man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man here normally refers to a male. However, it is not intended to exclude women. In this context, it may be translated as “person.” For example:
person (God’s Word)
-or-
they (New Century Version)
1:8b
unstable in all his ways: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unstable in all his ways means “is not reliable in any of his ways” or “is uncertain in making decisions.” Someone who is unstable in his behavior is someone who starts to do a certain thing but does not continue steadily with the same course of action. As soon as he encounters a difficulty, he changes and does something else. Therefore, people cannot depend on him.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
inconsistent in every activity (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
a person cannot depend on him in anything he does
-or-
vacillates in everything he does
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.