3:18a–b
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness: This sentence is a proverb. It also contains a metaphor. There are at least two main issues to consider as you translate this verse.
Issue 1: How to translate naturally
This Greek sentence is more literally “the fruit/harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by the ones making peace.” It may be strange to speak of a harvest being sown. So it may be more natural to speak of sowing seeds that result in a harvest. For example:
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
Issue 2: How to translate the metaphor
The words sow and raise a harvest are a metaphor. James compared the activity of sowing (seeds) and harvesting a crop to the activity of a peacemaker. These activities are similar in that certain actions naturally lead to certain results. Just as planting a crop leads to a harvest, promoting peace among the community of believers leads to righteous actions in that community.
Some ways to translate this metaphor are:
• Keep the metaphor. For example:
When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
Peacemakers are like people who plant and then harvest a crop. When they make/promote peace, it results in righteous actions.
• Translate the meaning without using a metaphor. For example:
When people live peacefully and help others to be at peace, then the result is righteous actions in their lives and the lives of others.
3:18a
Peacemakers who sow in peace: The phrase who sow in peace describes all peacemakers. It does not indicate that some peacemakers sow in peace and others do not.
Some ways to make this clear are:
When people who are peacemakers sow in peace
-or-
Peacemakers, because they sow in peace
Peacemakers: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Peacemakers is literally “those who make peace” (as in the Revised Standard Version). It refers to people who:
(a) live in peace with other people, and
(b) help others to stop quarreling and live together peacefully.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
People who live peacefully and who help others to live together peacefully
-or-
People who live in peace and who help others stop quarreling
-or-
Those who are peaceful and who settle conflicts
who sow in peace: The way you translate the phrase in peace will depend on whether you keep the metaphor or translate the meaning. For example:
• If you keep the metaphor, the word peace here refers to that which is sown. For example:
The peace sown by peacemakers (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
When peacemakers plant seeds of peace (Contemporary English Version)
• If you translate the meaning, the phrase in peace refers to the manner or attitude in which peacemakers act. In other words, peacemakers do things in a manner or attitude that leads to peace between people. For example:
When people live peacefully and help others to be at peace
-or-
When people behave in a peaceable way
3:18b
reap the fruit of righteousness: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as reap the fruit of righteousness is literally “a crop/harvest of righteousness.” It is a noun phrase. Some versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, translate it as a verb phrase. (Some other examples are below.)
The phrase the fruit of righteousness means “a harvest that consists of righteousness.” Right living that pleases God is the fruit or crop that is produced by wise people who sow peace.
The way you translate this phrase will depend on whether you keep the metaphor or translate the meaning. For example:
• If you keep the metaphor, you will translate the word harvest literally. For example:
reap a harvest of righteousness (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
they will harvest justice (Contemporary English Version)
• If you translate the meaning, you will translate the word fruit as “result” or “produce” or some similar word. For example:
then the result is righteous actions in their lives and the lives of others
-or-
it produces righteousness
righteousness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteousness means:
(a) actions that are right and good in God’s sight. Righteous actions will result when people live in peace with others and promote peace.
(b) acting in a right and fair way toward other people. Peaceful people who promote peace will reap justice in return.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
good acts/behavior
-or-
right deeds
-or-
goodness (Good News Translation)
Paragraph 4:1–3
In this paragraph, James discussed why Christian people quarrel with each other. He introduced this topic by means of a rhetorical question (4:1a). He then responded to his question, using another rhetorical question (4:1b). Christians quarrel because they selfishly desire things. In 4:2–3 he explained the answer in more detail.
4:1a
What causes conflicts and quarrels among you?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to introduce a new topic. He wanted his readers to think about what was causing people in the church to quarrel and fight with one another.
Some ways to introduce this new topic are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? (Good News Translation)
• As a command/imperative form to draw the readers’ attention to the new topic. For example:
Now consider what causes you(plur) to fight…
-or-
Think about why you(plur) fight….
• As a statement expressing James’ wish. For example:
I want you(plur) to think about why you fight.
Use a natural way in your language to introduce this new topic.
What causes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as What causes is more literally “From where.” For example:
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? (NET Bible)
The conflicts and quarrels come from inside people. So in some languages, it is more natural to say:
What causes…
-or-
Why do you fight and argue with each other? (Contemporary English Version)
conflicts and quarrels: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as conflicts and quarrels refer to serious conflicts. These words can refer to both physical fighting and verbal arguments.
Some other ways to translate these words are:
fights and arguments (New Century Version)
-or-
conflicts and disputes (New Revised Standard Version)
Notice the plural forms. This shows that these conflicts were happening frequently. James was not thinking of just one problem.
In some languages, it will be more natural to translate these nouns as verbs. For example:
you fight and quarrel so often
The words conflicts and quarrels are a doublet. This means that these two words mean almost the same thing. In some languages, both words can be translated by one word. For example:
Where do your frequent conflicts come from?
among you: The phrase among you indicates that James was talking about quarrels and disputes among Christian people.
4:1b–c
Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a response to the rhetorical question in 4:1a. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that the fights and quarrels came from people’s evil desires.
Some ways to translate this emphasis are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
They come from your(plur) desires that battle within you, right?
• As a statement. For example:
They come from the selfish desires that war within you. (New Century Version)
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
James was not informing his readers of something they did not know. He was reminding them of something they already knew.
4:1b
they: The pronoun they refers to the “fights and quarrels” in 4:1a.
come from: Use a verb that corresponds with the verb in 4:1a. For example, if you used the verb “come from” in 4:1a, you can use come from here. If you used the verb “causes” in 4:1a, you may want to use “caused” here. For example:
Aren’t they caused by…? (God’s Word)
the passions: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as passions here refers to wrong, selfish desires. These passions are desires for personal wealth, glory, and pleasure.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
selfish desires (God’s Word)
-or-
desires for pleasure (Good News Translation)
In some languages, it is more natural to translate the phrase the passions with a clause. For example:
you(plur) selfishly desire to have
-or-
you(plur) really want
4:1c
at war within you: The clause at war within you refers to your desires “which are constantly fighting within you.” (Good News Translation)
This clause is a figure of speech called personification. The word “passions” in 4:1b is the subject of the word war. It is as if the “passions” were people who could fight.
There are at least two ways to translate this personification:
• Keep the figure of speech. For example:
that fight to control you (God’s Word)
• Translate the meaning of the figure. For example:
that are opposed/contrary to what you should want
-or-
that are against your desire to do good
The text does not state against whom or against what the desires of the person are fighting. There are basically three interpretations:
(1) The desires in a person are fighting a war against his conscience or his soul. The struggle is inside him. (Interpretation (1) is supported by Mayor, page 129; Adamson (1976), page 166; Hiebert, page 244; Davids (1982), page 157; Moo (1985), page 139.)
(2) The desires in a person are fighting a war against other people as he tries to do what pleases God and not what pleases them. (Interpretation (2) is supported by Alford, page 312; Huther, page 127; Ropes, page 253; Martin, page 140.)
(3) The different desires in a person are fighting a war with each other inside the person. (Interpretation (3) is supported by Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English and by Laws, page 168.)
English versions do not say whom the desires are fighting. If you must be specific, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
within you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as within you can also be translated as:
inside you (NET Bible)
-or-
in your(plur) hearts
-or-
in your(plur) souls/spirits
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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.