The formula in verse 16, “Do not be deceived,” is used in 1 Cor 15.33 to introduce a quotation, and therefore some commentators think it likely that James is doing the same here. We cannot be certain as to the source of this quotation, but the saying is rhythmic, proverbial, and consists of a pair of very similar expressions: Every good endowment and every perfect gift. Some scholars have attempted to find a difference in meaning between good endowment and perfect gift, taking endowment as an act of generous giving, and the gift as the present given; for example, “all good giving and every perfect gift” (New English Bible), “Every good and generous action and every perfect gift” (Revised English Bible). However, this seems unnecessary if we take the two to have the same meaning. For this reason some translations have combined the two together, thus “Every good and perfect gift…” (New International Version, Contemporary English Version).
James says that the good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. There are two problems here. The first has to do with the punctuation, and the second with the meaning of the expression the Father of lights. If a comma is placed after from above, the following phrase becomes an additional parallel description: “from above [and] comes down….” Some translations, however, have taken the present verb “is” and the participle “coming” as linked grammatically; for example, “come from above” (Phillips, Revised English Bible). In either case the basic meaning remains the same; and in many languages the more natural style will be “comes from above [or, heaven]” or “comes down from heaven [or, is given by God].”
The God who gives good gifts is characterized as the Father of lights. This expression is unique in the Bible. The reference is to God as the Creator of the heavenly bodies, sun, moon, and stars (compare Gen 1.14-19; Psa 136.7; Jer 31.35). Here Father is to be understood in the sense of the ultimate source, the creator, and the lights as the heavenly bodies. If one takes the two together, the expression may be rendered as “from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights” (Good News Translation). “Heavenly” in many languages will be rendered as “in the sky.” So this clause may be expressed as “from God, the Creator of the bodies [or, sun, moon, and stars] that give light in the sky.”
An alternative translation model for the first part of this verse may be:
• It is God who [has] created the lights in the sky [or, heaven], from where he sends down every good and perfect gift.
With whom there is no variation or shadow due to change: this statement is extremely difficult for two reasons. First, it has a number of variant readings. Secondly, no one is exactly sure as to what its precise meaning is. With whom is sometimes used to express an attribute or quality, and in this case that of God, so it may be rendered “in God’s nature.” It is also possible to begin a new sentence here and say “He never changes…” or “He is always the same…” (Contemporary English Version). Some ancient authorities give an alternative Greek text, “there is no variation due to a shadow of turning” (see footnotes in Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version). However, the majority of translations accept the text as it is in Revised Standard Version.
The words variation, shadow, and change are often used, as is the case in the present context, to refer to the way the heavenly bodies move and appear to human observers. The word variation, used only here in the New Testament, suggests the alternate appearance or change in the movements of the heavenly bodies, particularly the sun and the moon. The expression shadow due to change, literally “shadow of turning” (King James Version), as used here, can refer to a number of things, such as a shadow caused and cast by an eclipse or by changing constellations, the shadow of night, phases of the moon, or the regular alternate appearance of the sun and the moon. But we cannot be certain. It is obvious, however, that the author is simply interested in using the constant changes in the heavenly bodies to point to, indeed highlight, the unchangeable nature of the Creator God. He is the one who sends all good things; and since he is unchanging, he could never send anything evil, such as temptation to sin. And so, whatever goes wrong, God is not to be blamed.
The rendering with whom there is no variation … sounds a bit abstract, and so in some languages it is desirable to be more direct and concrete; for example, “God never varies, nor causes darkness by changing,” “God never varies and never causes darkness to occur by changing,” or “God … and never makes things dark by changing,” or “… never makes dark shadows by changing” (Contemporary English Version).
Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .