12Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
The Greek in James 1:12 that is translated in English as “crown of life” is translated in Navajo (Dinė) as “the life-way prize” (source: Nida 1964, p. 238) and in Owa as “the wage of your souls” (source: Carl Gross).
In Chichewa (interconfessional translation) translated as mphotho or “prize (of life)”. Ernst Wendland (1987, p. 120) explains: “A Chewa Chief might wear a special sea shell or bracelet as a sort of badge of office, but these would be magically endowed to give him super-natural protection against his enemies. Because of these underlying associations, such terms would not be appropriate here. Instead the word mphotho ‘prize,’ ‘reward’ (for achievement) has been used.”
Nida (1952, p. 125ff.) reports on different translation of the Greek and Hebrew terms that are translated as “love” when referring to loving God:
“The Toro So Dogon people on the edge of the Sahara in French West Africa speak of ‘love for God’ as ‘put God in our hearts.’ This does not mean that God can be contained wholly within the heart of a man, but the Eternal does live within the hearts of men by His Holy Spirit, and it is only love which prompts the soul to ‘put God in the heart.’
“The Mitla Zapotec Indians, nestled in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, describe ‘love’ in almost opposite words. Instead of putting God into one’s own heart, they say, ‘my heart goes away with God.’ Both the Toro So Dogon and the Zapotecs are right. There is a sense in which God dwells within us, and there is also a sense in which our hearts are no longer our own. They belong to Him, and the object of affection is not here on earth, but as pilgrims with no certain abiding place we long for that fuller fellowship of heaven itself.
“The Uduks seem to take a rather superficial view of love, for they speak of it as ‘good to the eye.’ But we must not judge spiritual insight or capacity purely on the basis of idioms. Furthermore, there is a sense in which this idiom is quite correct. In fact the Greek term agapé, which is used primarily with the meaning of love of God and of the Christian community, means essentially ‘to appreciate the worth and value of something.’ It is not primarily the love which arises from association and comradeship (this is philé), but it defines that aspect of love which prompted God to love us when there was no essential worth or value in us, except as we could be remade in the image of His Son. Furthermore, it is the love which must prompt us to see in men and women, still unclaimed for Jesus Christ, that which God can do by the working of His Spirit. This is the love which rises higher than personal interests and goes deeper than sentimental attachment. This is the basis of the communion of the saints.
“Love may sometimes be described in strong, powerful terms. The Miskitos of the swampy coasts of eastern Nicaragua and Honduras say that ‘love’ is ‘pain of the heart.’ There are joys which become so intense that they seem to hurt, and there is love which so dominates the soul that its closest emotion seems to be pain. The Tzotzils, living in the cloud-swept mountains of Chiapas in southern Mexico, describe love in almost the same way as the Miskitos. They say it is ‘to hurt in the heart.’ (…) [See also pain-love]
“The Q’anjob’al Indians of northern Guatemala have gone even a step further. They describe love as ‘my soul dies.’ Love is such that, without experiencing the joy of union with the object of our love, there is a real sense in which ‘the soul dies.’ A man who loves God according to the Conob idiom would say ‘my soul dies for God.’ This not only describes the powerful emotion felt by the one who loves, but it should imply a related truth—namely, that in true love there is no room for self. The man who loves God must die to self. True love is of all emotions the most unselfish, for it does not look out for self but for others. False love seeks to possess; true love seeks to be possessed. False love leads to cancerous jealousy; true love leads to a life-giving ministry.” (Source: Nida 1952)
In Mairasi, the term that is used for love for God, by God and for people is the same: “desire one’s face” (source: Enggavoter 2004), likewise in Ogea, where the word for “love” is “die for someone” (source: Sandi Colburn in Holzhausen 1991, p. 22).
The Greek and Ge’ez that is typically translated as “tempt” or “temptation” in English is translated in Noongar as djona-karra or “reveal conduct” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in Tibetan as nyams sad (ཉམས་སད།), lit. “soul + test,” or in some cases as slu (སླུ།) or “lure / lead astray” (for instance in 1 Cor. 7:5 or Gal 6:1) (source: gSungrab website )
In Cherokee it is translated as “examined.” “‘Temptation’ is also translated using a traditional verb which means ‘to examine medically’ or ‘to interpret,’ as when divining or consulting a crystal. It expresses the idea that the tempted person is being ‘tested’ or examined.'” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 1:12:
Uma: “Blessed/Fortunate are people who withstand in difficulties and temptations. For if they last/are-patient, they will receive the good life that God promised to the people who love him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “A person is glad if he remains/is steadfastly with God even if/when he endures troubles/sorrows. For if his trust does not move even in troubles/sorrows he will be given everlasting life in heaven. This is the reward/repayment God promised to those who love him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Far better off is the person who thoroughly endures when he is tested. For when it is seen that his faith is correct, he will be given life forever which is what God has promised to all who hold him dear in their breath.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Happy is the person who is hardshipped, who perseveres in following God, because if/when it is confirmed that his faith is steadfast, he will receive the reward that God has promised to the one who loves him which is the life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The person can really be happy who remains true in his believing/obeying God, even though he is being reached by hardships which are testing of this believing/obeying of his. For as long as he holds fast, it’s certain that he will receive the reward which is life without ending, for that’s what God has promised to all who hold him dear.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Fortunate is the person who endures all the suffering he passes through. Because to that person who endures, God has said that he (that person) will live together with him forever. This is what God has promised to all who truly love God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
This verse is translated in Guhu-Samane as “The man who is unmovable in a test is in a happy condition. For those who love God are the ones into whose armbands he promised to insert the victory flower of life. So then, after the test is over that man will have the victory flower inserted.”
Handman (2015, p. 115) comments on this: “This suggests that Richert created an underlying message that put the verse in logical, sequential order. God promised man ‘the crown of life’ before anyone actually received it. Therefore, the promise appears before the description of receiving the gift. The underlying message likely mirrored the following organization:
A man who perseveres under a trial is a good man. God promised this crown of life to those who love him. When he passes the test, then he will receive the crown of life.
“‘Crown of life’ in the Greek and most English versions becomes ‘flower of life (slipped through an armband)’ in Richert’s translation, a reference to a flower put in a man’s armband as a sign of prestige or victory. Richert was concerned to use the right words and expressions, in the right order, to make the biblical text as comprehensible as possible.'”
God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).
Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.
In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.
While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”
In that system, one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and others for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.
Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”
In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)
Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”
In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )
In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)
The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.
Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are Twents as well as Indonesian and Malay. In the latter two languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).
The Hebrew adonai in the Old Testament typically refers to God. The shorter adon (and in two cases in the book of Daniel the Aramaic mare [מָרֵא]) is also used to refer to God but more often for concepts like “master,” “owner,” etc. In English Bible translations all of those are translated with “Lord” if they refer to God.
In English Old Testament translations, as in Old Testament translations in many other languages, the use of Lord (or an equivalent term in other languages) is not to be confused with Lord (or the equivalent term with a different typographical display for other languages). While the former translates adonai, adon and mare, the latter is a translation for the tetragrammaton (YHWH) or the Name of God. See tetragrammaton (YHWH) and the article by Andy Warren-Rothlin in Noss / Houser, p. 618ff. for more information.
In the New Testament, the Greek term kurios has at least four different kinds of use:
referring to “God,” especially in Old Testament quotations,
meaning “master” or “owner,” especially in parables, etc.,
as a form of address (see for instance John 4:11: “Sir, you have no bucket”),
or, most often, referring to Jesus
In the first and fourth case, it is also translated as “Lord” in English.
Most languages naturally don’t have one word that covers all these meanings. According to Bratcher / Nida, “the alternatives are usually (1) a term which is an honorific title of respect for a high-ranking person and (2) a word meaning ‘boss’, ‘master’, or ‘chief.’ (…) and on the whole it has generally seemed better to employ a word of the second category, in order to emphasize the immediate personal relationship, and then by context to build into the word the prestigeful character, since its very association with Jesus Christ will tend to accomplish this purpose.”
When looking at the following list of back-translations of the terms that translators in the different languages have used for both kurios and adonai to refer to God and Jesus respectively, it might be helpful for English readers to recall the etymology of the English “Lord.” While this term might have gained an exalted meaning in the understanding of many, it actually comes from hlaford or “loaf-ward,” referring to the lord of the castle who was the keeper of the bread (source: Rosin 1956, p. 121).
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Following are some of the solutions that don’t rely on a different typographical display (see above):
Iyansi: Mwol. Mwol is traditionally used for the “chief of a group of communities and villages” with legal, temporal, and spiritual authority (versus the “mfum [the term used in other Bantu languages] which is used for the chief of one community of people in one village”). Mwol is also used for twins who are “treated as special children, highly honored, and taken care of like kings and queens.” (Source: Kividi Kikama in Greed / Kruger, p. 396ff.)
Binumarien: Karaambaia: “fight-leader” (Source: Oates 1995, p. 255)
Warlpiri: Warlaljamarri (owner or possessor of something — for more information tap or click here)
We have come to rely on another term which emphasizes God’s essential nature as YHWH, namely jukurrarnu (see tetragrammaton (YHWH)). This word is built on the same root jukurr– as is jukurrpa, ‘dreaming.’ Its basic meaning is ‘timelessness’ and it is used to describe physical features of the land which are viewed as always being there. Some speakers view jukurrarnu in terms of ‘history.’ In all Genesis references to YHWH we have used Kaatu Jukurrarnu. In all Mark passages where kurios refers to God and not specifically to Christ we have also used Kaatu Jukurrarnu.
New Testament references to Christ as kurios are handled differently. At one stage we experimented with the term Watirirririrri which refers to a ceremonial boss of highest rank who has the authority to instigate ceremonies. While adequately conveying the sense of Christ’s authority, there remained potential negative connotations relating to Warlpiri ceremonial life of which we might be unaware.
Here it is that the Holy Spirit led us to make a chance discovery. Transcribing the personal testimony of the local Warlpiri pastor, I noticed that he described how ‘my Warlaljamarri called and embraced me (to the faith)’. Warlaljamarri is based on the root warlalja which means variously ‘family, possessions, belongingness’. A warlaljamarri is the ‘owner’ or ‘possessor’ of something. While previously being aware of the ‘ownership’ aspect of warlaljamarri, this was the first time I had heard it applied spontaneously and naturally in a fashion which did justice to the entire concept of ‘Lordship’. Thus references to Christ as kurios are now being handled by Warlaljamarri.” (Source: Stephen Swartz, The Bible Translator 1985, p. 415ff. )
Mairasi: Onggoao Nem (“Throated One” — “Leader,” “Elder”) or Enggavot Nan (“Above-One”) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Obolo: Okaan̄-ene (“Owner of person(s)”) (source: Enene Enene)
Lotha Naga: Opvui (“owner of house / field / cattle”) — since both “Lord” and YHWH are translated as Opvui there is an understanding that “Opvui Jesus is the same as the Opvui of the Old Testament”
Seediq: Tholang, loan word from Min Nan Chinese (the majority language in Taiwan) thâu-lâng (頭儂): “Master” (source: Covell 1998, p. 248)
Thai: phra’ phu pen cao (พระผู้เป็นเจ้า) (divine person who is lord) or ong(kh) cao nay (องค์เจ้านาย) (<divine classifier>-lord-boss) (source: Stephen Pattemore)
Arabic often uses different terms for adonai or kurios referring to God (al-rabb الرب) and kurios referring to Jesus (al-sayyid الـسـيـد). Al-rabb is also the term traditionally used in Arabic Christian-idiom translations for YHWH, and al-sayyid is an honorary term, similar to English “lord” or “sir” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
Tamil also uses different terms for adonai/kurios when referring to God and kurios when referring to Jesus. The former is Karttar கர்த்தர், a Sanskrit-derived term with the original meaning of “creator,” and the latter in Āṇṭavar ஆண்டவர், a Tamil term originally meaning “govern” or “reign” (source: Natarajan Subramani).
Burunge: Looimoo: “owner who owns everything” (in the Burunge Bible translation, this term is only used as a reference to Jesus and was originally used to refer to the traditional highest deity — source: Michael Endl in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 48)
Yagaria: Souve, originally “war lord” (source: Renck, p. 94)
Aguacateco: Ajcaw ske’j: “the one to whom we belong and who is above us” (source: Rita Peterson in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 49)
Konkomba: Tidindaan: “He who is the owner of the land and reigns over the people” (source: Lidorio 2007, p. 66)
Chichewa: AmbuyeAmbuye comes from the singular form Mbuye which is used to refer to: (1) someone who is a guardian or protector of someone or group of people — a grandparent who has founded a community or village; (2) someone who is a boss or master over a group of people or servants and has absolute control over them; (3) owner of something, be it a property, animals and people who are bound under his/her rule — for people this was mostly commonly used in the context of slaves and their owner. In short, Mbuye is someone who has some authorities over those who call him/her their “Mbuye.” Now, when the form Ambuye is used it will either be for honorific when used for singular or plural when referring to more than one person. When this term is used in reference to God, it is for respect to God as he is acknowledged as a guardian, protector, and ruler of everything. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation).
Hdi uses rveri (“lion”) as a title of respect and as such it regularly translates adon in the Old Testament. As an address, it’s most often with a possessive pronoun as in rvera ɗa (“my lion” = “my lord” or “sir”). So, for example, Genesis 15:2 (“O Lord God”) is Rvera ɗa Yawe (“My lion Yahweh”) or Ruth to Boaz in Ruth 2:13: “May I find your grace [lit. good-stomach] my lion.” This ties in nicely with the imagery of the Lord roaring like a lion (Hosea 11:10; Amos 3:8; Joel 3:16). Better still, this makes passages like Revelation 5:5 even richer when we read about rveri ma taba məndəra la Yuda, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”. In Revelation 19:16, Jesus is rveri ta ghəŋa rveriha “the lion above lions” (“lord of lords”). (Source: Drew Maust)
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew adonai was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments: “Another case is the use of kurios referring to Jesus. For Yahweh (in English Bibles: ‘the Lord‘), the Septuagint uses kurios. Although the term kurios usually has to do with one’s authority over others, when the New Testament authors use this word from the Septuagint to refer to Jesus, they are making an extraordinary claim: Jesus of Nazareth is to be identified with Yahweh.”
The form Blessed is the man … is very common in the Old Testament (see Job 5.17; Psa 1.1; 32.2; Pro 8.32, 34). In the New Testament it is used by Jesus in Matt 5.3-11 and Luke 6.20-22. The word Blessed is used to describe an inner quality of true happiness and, in this context, an attitude of resolute courage unaffected by external circumstances, even when they are unfavorable. Here it is a blessing pronounced on those who stand the test of faith. This blessing has much in common with what Jesus has offered to the poor and disadvantaged people in Luke 6.22-23. It will be noted that God is the source of this true happiness. The force of Blessed can be brought out more effectively in some languages as “How happy is the person who…,” “Truly happy are those who…,” or “God will bless those who….” In this context God will be the giver of good things. Even though in Greek the word man is normally used of a male person, here, as in 1.8, it should be understood in a general sense and is therefore best rendered as, for example, “Happy are those who…” (Good News Translation), “Blessed is anyone…” (New Revised Standard Version), or “God will bless the person who….”
This true happiness is offered to the person who endures trial, a saying that echoes Dan 12.12. The noun form of the verb endures has already appeared in verse 3, where it is rendered “steadfastness” by Revised Standard Version and “the ability to endure” by Good News Translation. Endurance is an ability to face all kinds of troubles, difficulties, and sufferings with steadfast courage and faithfulness. It means more than negative endurance of hardships and trials; it is the heroic act of someone who “meets trial with unbreakable spirit” (Barclay), who “remains faithful” (Good News Translation), “remains steadfast” (New English Bible), and “stands firm” (Translator’s New Testament, Jerusalem Bible [Jerusalem Bible]) under trials. (See James 1.3, “steadfastness,” for a further comment on how to translate this term.)
The word trial has also appeared in verse 2 and will be used again in the following verses with a different shade of meaning. As explained above, it can mean either “trial,” referring more to external difficulties and troubles, or “temptation,” referring more to internal impulses that may entice a person to evil and sin, depending on a given context. What sense is intended here is debated. Some translations render it as “temptation,” since this is obviously the meaning intended in the following verse (King James Version, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version). Most others, however, take it to mean “trial,” since the word is used here in connection with the verb endures, and temptation is something to be “resisted,” not “endured” (Ropes). Still others feel that the author is apparently trying to use this word here as a link connecting the thought of “trial” in verse 2 with the theme of “temptation” in the following verses, and have tried to bring this out. They do it either by including both meanings in the translation, “… patiently endures the temptations and trials…” (Phillips), or by suggesting a more inclusive term like “testing” that, in some languages, does include the two components of “trial” and “temptation.” Perhaps this is the better way to translate trial in this context. Alternative ways to render the first sentence, then, may be:
• The person who patiently endures such temptations and difficulties will be fortunate [or, happy];
• The person who passes through such difficulties without failing [or, faltering] will be…;
or, in similar terms to verses 2-3:
• The person who passes through such testing and does not stop believing will be…;
• God will bless the person who does not stop believing when being tested.
In a number of languages it will be helpful to follow Contemporary English Version as a model and use the inclusive pronoun “you” throughout this verse: “God will bless you if you don’t….”
When he has stood the test can be taken as further explanation of the meaning of endures in the previous clause. In Greek it is a participial phrase, literally “because having become tried” or “because having become approved.” It is perhaps best understood here as a time clause, “because when [or, after] he is approved…” or “because having passed the test…,” rather than a conditional clause “because if he is approved….” The goal of enduring external troubles is to pass the test and to be approved as keeping genuine faith (compare New Jerusalem Bible “proven worth”). The noun form “testing” has already been used in verse 2. It is often used of the testing of athletes for fitness in athletic competitions, or of metal cleansed of all impurity. When it is applied to a person, it has a wider sense of proving or testing the genuineness of character. It describes someone who is approved after testing, and can be rendered variously; for example, “succeed in passing such a test” (Good News Translation), “has proved his worth” (Knox), “is of proven worth” (New Jerusalem Bible), “has come through the ordeal” (Barclay), or “who passes through such testing and is victorious.”
A tested person who succeeds in facing trials will receive the crown of life. This means that “he [or, that person] will be given [by God] the crown of life” or, in the active, “God will give him [or, that person] the crown of life.” Notice that the verb is in future tense, indicating that it is a promise for the new age, a reward given to those who pass the test. The expression the crown of life, which occurs also in Rev 2.10, can be understood as a genitive of quality, with life qualifying crown, giving the meaning “a living crown” or “enduring crown.” Or it may be taken as an appositional genitive, with “life” as the content, meaning “the crown that is life.” In this case the crown promised is life itself, although not physical life but life eternal, the salvation to be received in the new age (compare the “crowns” in 2 Tim 4.8; 1 Peter 5.4; Rev 2.10). Most likely the latter is the intended meaning in this context and is accepted by a number of translations; for example, “his prize the gift of life” (New English Bible; similarly Translator’s New Testament, Revised English Bible), or simply “as their reward the life…” (Good News Translation).
In the New Testament the word crown is used of a wreath made of thorns put on the head of Jesus (Matt 27.29; Mark 15.17; John 19.2, 5), or a wreath as a prize for a victor in battle or athletic competition (1 Cor 9.25; 2 Tim 2.5), or a golden crown as a badge of dignity (Rev 4.4, 10; 6.2). In this context it is used figuratively of some special honor, a reward or prize, to be received with joy by faithful Christians who have proved their worth by successfully withstanding trials and temptations. In many languages crown will need to be expressed as “reward.” In such cases the translator may say “God will give him eternal life as a reward” or “He will reward you with a glorious life” (Contemporary English Version). But other languages can retain the symbol of the crown and say “God will give him eternal life, like a crown that people who conquer receive.” Translators should use whatever is the most natural expression in their language.
God is the one who has promised this special prize to those who love him. In the Greek the subject of the promise is not mentioned in the most reliable text. However, it is evident from the context, as well as from the similar usage in 2.5, that the promise of life is given by God, and this is supplied by most translations. Some translations (King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée), following later manuscripts, have supplied “Lord” as the giver of promise, but this will run into the difficulty of having to decide whether it refers to God or Christ, and therefore it is less desirable.
The supreme gift of life is promised to those who love him. This phrase is a conventional description of faithful and true believers in God (see Exo 20.6; Deut 5.10; Psa 145.20; Rom 8.28). Love in its distinctive biblical understanding is more than “like”; it is unconditional, involving more will than emotion. It is always relational and often implies faithfulness and loyalty. So in this context it refers more to a sense of loyalty toward God.
Alternative translation models for this verse may be:
• God will make the person who passes through [or, endures] such difficulties and does not stop believing, happy. Because when he endures this testing and temptation victoriously, God will give him eternal life as a reward. This is what God gives to those people who love him.
• God will bless you if you don’t stop believing when you endure difficulties. Because when you endure this testing and temptation victoriously, God will give you eternal life as a reward, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.
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 .
This section has an opening verse (1:12) (Some commentators connect 1:12 to 1:2–11 (Hiebert, for example). Others see 1:12 as a kind of “hinge” that connects 1:2–11 to 1:12–18 (Moo (2000), pages 71–72; McCartney, page 100). They recognize that 1:2–3 and 1:12 form an inclusio, or verbal bracket to 1:2–12 through the repetition in both of three key words: trials and two main paragraphs (1:13–15 and 1:16–18). In 1:12 James recalled 1:2–3 and that it was important to persevere in times of trial and temptation. The next paragraph, 1:13–15, points out that it is not God who tempts us but our own sinful desires, which eventually lead to death. Paragraph 1:16–18 reinforces this by saying that God gives only good gifts.
Some other possible headings for this section are:
Christians should endure testing and temptations
-or-
Trials and temptations
Paragraph 1:12
In this paragraph, James reminded his readers that it is important to persevere when difficult situations test their faith.
1:12a
Blessed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Blessed means “in a good position” or “in an enviable/desirable situation.” In the Bible, the good situation results when God favors a person and does good to him. The person who perseveres when he is tried and tempted is in a good position.
This word does not primarily refer to a feeling. However, a person in this good situation will frequently have good feelings such as happiness and joy. Do not use a word that only refers to material prosperity or physical health.
Some other ways to translate this are:
Joyful/desirable/happy is the situation of the man
-or-
How good it is for the man
-or-
The person is favored/fortunate
Refer also to your translation of Matthew 5:3–11, where this word is used in a similar way.
man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man generally refers to a male. However, in this context, the word introduces a general statement that is true of everyone. In some languages, it may be natural to introduce this statement with a general word like “people” or with a pronoun like “you” or “they.” For example:
Blessed are people
-or-
Blessed are those
-or-
Blessed is anyone (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
God will bless you (Contemporary English Version)
perseveres: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perseveres means “continued effort to fulfill some purpose.” Someone who perseveres has the ability to face all kinds of troubles, difficulties, and sufferings with courage and faithfulness. He continues to work towards his goal. He does not run away or give up.
Some other ways to translate this verb are:
endures (NET Bible)
-or-
persists
-or-
don’t give up (Contemporary English Version)
This verb corresponds to the noun in 1:3c that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “perseverance”. See the note there.
under trial: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as trial refers to difficult situations that occur in a person’s life and test his faith. These can include both external problems like persecution and internal temptations from Satan.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
during troubles/difficulties
-or-
hardships/problems
-or-
when they are tested (God’s Word)
-or-
when your faith is being tested (Contemporary English Version)
This same word occurs in 1:2b.
1:12b
because: The conjunction because introduces the reason that the person who endures trials in 1:12a is blessed. He is blessed (1:12a) because he will receive the crown of life (1:12c). In some languages, it will be more natural to put the reason before 1:12a. See the General Comment on 1:12a–d at the end of 1:12d for an example.
when he has stood the test: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when he has stood the test means “when he has passed the test.” When this person is persecuted because he believes in Jesus, he perseveres. He does not abandon his faith. In this way he passes the test. He shows that his faith is genuine.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
When they pass the test (God’s Word)
-or-
when he has proven to be genuine (NET Bible)
-or-
After they have proved their faith (New Century Version)
The word “test” here in 1:12b and the word “testing” in 1:3b come from related Greek words.
1:12c
he will receive the crown of life: The word crown literally refers to a wreath of leaves that both the Greek and Roman cultures put on a person’s head in order to honor him.
Here the word crown is a metaphor. James was using this metaphor to refer to a “reward” or “prize” for passing a test. He was not saying that believers will receive an actual object on their heads such as a crown.
So the phrase the crown of life refers to the reward or prize. A person will receive this reward or prize if he perseveres in his faith when he is persecuted. That reward/prize is eternal life.
There are two ways to translate this metaphor:
• Keep the metaphor. For example:
he will receive the crown of eternal life
• Translate the meaning of the metaphor without keeping the figure of speech. For example:
he will receive in reward the life which God has promised (Revised English Bible)
-or-
God will reward them with life forever (New Century Version)
-or-
God will give him a reward/prize. That reward is eternal life
life: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as life here refers to eternal life with God. For example:
life forever (New Century Version)
-or-
life with God that never ends
1:12d
God: Most of the earliest Greek manuscripts simply have the pronoun “he” here. Other Greek manuscripts have “God” or “Lord.” The meaning is the same. “He” refers to God. Most English versions supply the word “God” to make it clear who is meant. You may want to do this also.
has promised: The verb promised means “affirm that he would do something.” God said with certainty that he would give the crown of life to those who passed the test.
Some other ways to translate this verb are:
vowed/guaranteed that he would do
-or-
said that he would certainly do
to those who love Him: The phrase those who love Him refers to all believers. James was including himself and his readers among those who love Him. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this clear by using the word “us.” Some other ways to translate this are:
to all those/people who love him
-or-
to all of us(incl) who love him
-or-
to everyone who loves him
General Comment on 1:12a–d
In some languages, it is more natural to put the reason (1:12b–d) before the result (1:12a). For example:
12bWhen someone has stood the test, 12che will receive the crown of life 12dthat God has promised to those who love him. 12aThat is why the man who perseveres under trial is blessed.
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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.
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