Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):
The Greek that is typically translated as “gentleness” in English is translated in Suki as gitusaena inae or “not-snatching way.” (Source L. and E. Twyman in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 91ff. )
In Tibetan it is translated as sems dul ba (སེམས་དུལ་བ།), lit. “mind + tame.” (Source: gSungrab website )
The Greek that is often translated as “meek” or “meekness” in English is translated in Malba Birifor as hɛlɛlɛ. David B. Woodford (in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 181 ) tells how that translation was uncovered: “Some words come by the accidents God provides. For a long while we had searched in vain for a word adequate to express ‘meekness.’ Then we gave up (temporarily), and took a walk outside for a break. The grain-stalks left after harvesting were beginning to sprout again, so I said [to the language assistant], ‘Look, they’re sprouting.’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘they’re hɛlɛlɛ.’ ‘What does that mean?’ ‘That is the word we use for new leaves when they are big enough and strong enough to bend and not to break. We use it for people too, who are so strong inside that they don’t need or want to fight you. But if a person is hard and brittle like a dead leaf it means that he is not really strong.’ And that is surely a better word for Bible meekness than anything we can say in English!”
In Cherokee it is translated as “have a heart” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 21).
Following are a number of back-translations of James 3:13:
Uma: “If there is in our midst a person whose thinking is good and whose heart is clear [i.e., aware, mature, wise], he must show his clearness of heart with his good behavior and with his character that appears from a humble [low] heart, like is fitting for people whose hearts are clear.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “If there is a person among you who has deep thoughts/wisdom and really understands, he should show his knowledge in his good works. And his liver should be lowly/humble for like that is a person whose thoughts/wisdom is truly deep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Any of you who are wise and have large understanding, he must show it by means of his good works. He must not consider himself high as he shows his wisdom by means of his good workds.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If there is someone among you who is thinking/reflective and understanding, he should show his kind-of-wisdom in his good behavior/character and in his humbling (lit. lowering) himself in his doing what is good.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well who of you is knowledgeable and perceptive/understanding? It’s necessary that you prove it through your good nature/ways, and through the good things you are doing with meekness/patience which accompanies true understanding/wisdom.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “When there arises one who is wise, who thinks on the words he hears, it will be seen who such a person is because he does good. He does what he knows and is not arrogant in what he does.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Central Mazahua: “When anyone of you knows what is good to do and knows how, he will be careful how he will live and he will not make himself great. In that way people will notice that truly that one knows.”
Rincón Zapotec: “If there is among you a man who has great ability and he understands exceedingly, with complete humility he ought to show that he is thus by means of the good things he is doing.”
Alekano: ” . . . if he remains humble and does good things, he will demonstrate the substance of his wisdom.” (Source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Who is wise and understanding among you?: James continues with his favorite style by asking another rhetorical question. He addresses those among his readers who consider themselves to be wise and understanding. This pair of terms is found often in the Old Testament (Deut 1.13; 4.6), describing a person who lives in accordance with the insight given by God. The wise person is not someone who possesses intellectual capacity or abstract knowledge, but someone who has moral insight on practical matters in daily life. The Greek word translated understanding appears only here in the New Testament. It is rendered as “endued with knowledge” by King James Version, “clever” by New English Bible, and “learned” by Revised English Bible, and is used to describe someone who possesses expert knowledge with deep perception and understanding. There is, however, no need to press for a precise and distinct difference of meaning between the two. Rather, comparable to their usage in the Old Testament as a pair, the two words are perhaps best taken as having the same sense, so Contemporary English Version “wise and sensible.” In languages not accustomed to using similar words like this, the pair may be rendered as “truly wise,” “having great spiritual insight,” “a person who considers everything very carefully,” or idiomatically, for example, “a person with a very big mind.” The clause Who is … among you? may also be expressed as “Are there any of you…?” (Good News Translation), “Are any of you…?” (Contemporary English Version) or, “Do any of you…?”
James goes on to answer his own question by mentioning two things that are evidence of true wisdom, namely that true wisdom should show itself in deeds, and that it should manifest itself in meekness. First, the person who is truly wise and understanding should prove it by the quality of his or her own conduct. It is proven By his good life. The word life is not the usual word for life; it refers not so much to private and inner life, but to life in relation to others as shown in conduct. It is a favorite word in 1 Peter, referring to the whole manner and style of Christian living intended to be a witness to nonbelievers. The King James Version rendering “conversation” is misleading, since in modern usage it is used almost exclusively to mean “oral expression,” namely “talk.” In the present context it means more or less the Christian way of life, conduct, or behavior. To show here means to “prove” or to “demonstrate.” The force of the imperative let him show may therefore be brought out more clearly as “You are to prove it” (Good News Translation), “he must demonstrate” (Barclay), or “he must give evidence of.” Other ways to express this clause are “show it by living right” (Contemporary English Version) or “Show you are truly wise by walking a straight life.”
By his good life let him show his works: what exactly is the relationship between good life and his works, as the two expressions appear to be needless repetition of the same idea? What is to be shown is his works: and his good life is the means to be used. Since his works is the content of what is to be shown, it may be clearer in English to add the function word “that” to introduce a subordinate clause, thus “Show by his good life that his works….” In this case we can either make his works a verbal statement like “what he does is done…” (Goodspeed) or supply a verb like “his works are done…” (so Barclay, New Revised Standard Version). Another possibility is to take his works as in apposition to good life, thus “by your good life, by your good deeds…,” as Good News Translation has done (similarly Contemporary English Version). This alternative is the more likely one. We may also express this as “by walking his life well and doing good deeds.”
Secondly, true wisdom should show itself in the meekness of wisdom. The genitive construction “A of B” is ambiguous, as it may be understood in so many different ways.
(1) It is most often taken as “B modifying A” or “B as descriptive of A,” reflected in all literal translations, resulting in the meaning “wise meekness [humility]” (so Chinese Union Version [CUV], Chinese New Translation).
(2) It is also understood as a coordinate construction, “A and B,” as seen in the rendering of Good News Translation “with humility and wisdom” (so also Luther 1984, Bible en français courant; similarly Contemporary English Version).
(3) It can be interpreted as “A characterizing B,” apparently the sense favored by Barclay when he renders the phrase as “that gentleness which is the hallmark of wisdom.”
(4) It is also taken as “A agreeing with B,” for example, “meekness that is in accord with wisdom” (so Japanese colloquial version, Japanese Franciscan Translation).
(5) Finally, it is interpreted as “A originating from B,” resulting in the rendering “the humility that comes from wisdom” (New American Bible; similarly Phillips, Translator’s New Testament, Revised English Bible). This is the option favored by many modern scholars and translators.
To sum up, (2) and (5) appear to fit the context best and therefore are recommended by this Handbook.
Meekness is the opposite of arrogance. It is often understood as self-effacement or submissiveness and is therefore considered by many as a weakness rather than a virtue. In Jesus’ teaching, however, it is a desirable quality. In one of the beatitudes he pronounces “Blessed are the meek” (Matt 5.5). The “meek” there means people with genuine humility and awareness that they are unworthy before God and are totally dependent on him. In the present context the word has been rendered in various ways; for example, “modesty” (Revised English Bible), “gentleness” (Barclay), and “humility” (Good News Translation, Translator’s New Testament, New International Version). Indeed this sort of “humility” can come only from true wisdom—the wisdom from God! For more discussion on the meaning of “meekness,” see the discussion in 1.21.
The following are possible alternative translation models for this verse:
• Are any of you truly wise? If you are, then you must show this by living [or, walking] a good life, and also by doing good deeds with the humility [or, gentleness] that comes from your wisdom.
• Is there any person among you who is wise or sensible? You must show it by living a right [or, correct] life and by being humble and wise in everything you do.
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 .
The wisdom of God is quite different from the wisdom of the devil
This section has three paragraphs. First, in 3:13 James introduced the topic of wisdom. Then he continued with two paragraphs. In each paragraph he discussed one type of wisdom. The first type he discussed (in 3:14–16) is the false wisdom that does not come from God. The second type he discussed (in 3:17–18) is the true wisdom that does come from God.
Some other possible headings for this section are:
True Wisdom Comes from God (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
Two Kinds of Wisdom (New International Version (2011 Revision))
Paragraph 3:13
This verse introduces the topic of spiritual wisdom by challenging people who claim to be wise. James said that their claim must be tested.
See the General Comment on 3:13a–c at the end of 3:13c for ways to reorder this verse.
3:13a
Who is wise and understanding among you?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to focus on a specific group of people and to address them. He addressed those who thought that they were wise and understanding. For example:
Who among you thinks/says that he is wise and understanding?
Some ways to translate this rhetorical question are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Are there those among you who are truly wise and understanding? (New Century Version)
-or-
Do any of you have wisdom and insight? (God’s Word)
• As a conditional clause. For example:
If you are wise and understand God’s ways (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
• As a statement. For example:
Anyone who thinks he is wise and understanding
-or-
Regarding those who think that they are wise and understanding
-or- Now I want to talk to those of you who think/claim that you are wise and understanding.
Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language.
is wise and understanding: The two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wise and understanding are a doublet. This means that these two words mean almost the same thing. In some languages, both words can be translated by one emphatic word or phrase. For example:
truly wise
is wise: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wise here describes a person who lives in a way that agrees with what God wants. Wisdom in the Bible is concerned with choosing between right and wrong actions.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
has wisdom
-or-
thinking is good
-or-
makes good/godly choices
understanding: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as understanding here describes a person who knows what is right and what is wrong.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
has insight
-or-
is perceptive
3:13b
Let him show it: The clause Let him show it is a command. The pronoun him refers to the person in 3:13a who is wise and understanding. The verb show here means “prove to everyone” or “demonstrate.” The pronoun it refers to the claim to be wise in 3:13a. So this clause means:
He must show/prove to others that he is wise and understanding
Another way to translate this clause is:
He must do what is wise and understanding, then people will know/see it in him.
Your translation of this clause must correspond with the way you translated “Who is…” in 3:13a. For example:
13aDo any of you have wisdom…? 13bShow this… (God’s Word)
-or- 13aIf you are wise…, 13bprove it… (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or- 13aAre there those among you who are truly wise…? 13bThen they should show it (New Century Version)
-or- 13aA person who thinks that he is wise 13bmust prove that he has wisdom.
by his good conduct: The phrase by his good conduct is the means by which a person shows that he is wise. The phrase good conduct refers to the person’s good behavior or good conduct. (The King James Version says “out of a good conversation.” When the King James Version was translated, the word “conversation” meant “behavior.”)
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
by his good life (New International Version (2011 Revision))
-or-
by living right (New Century Version)
-or-
with/through his good behavior
-or-
in his good works
3:13c
by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom: There are several ways to connect this phrase to the rest of the verse:
(a) Make it a more specific restatement of the phrase “by his good conduct” (in 3:13b). For example:
13bYou are to prove it by your good life, 13cby your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. (Good News Translation)
(b) Make it the second clause that is parallel to “by his good conduct.” For example:
13bThen show it by living right 13cand by being humble and wise in everything you do. (Contemporary English Version)
(c) Make it the object of the verb “show.” For example:
13bhe should show 13chis works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. (NET Bible) (The NET Bible accurately follows the Greek grammar here by translating “his works” as the object of the verb “show.” However, this solution makes it difficult to naturally connect the phrase “by his good conduct” (3:13b) to the rest of the sentence.)
deeds done in…humility: The clause deeds done in…humility means “good deeds that are done with a humble attitude.” In other words, the deeds are done modestly and not proudly. (It is not clear from the Greek text whether the phrase in the humility that comes from wisdom is to be connected to the word “show” or whether it is to be connected to the word “deeds.” In other words, does it mean that when the man shows the deeds he has done, he is to do it humbly, not proudly? Or does it mean that the deeds he has done must be deeds that are done humbly, not selfishly? The second interpretation makes better sense in the context and is accepted by Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version (2011 Revision), and many commentators.)
deeds: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deeds is more literally “works” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This word refers to “good deeds.” It refers to good activities that people do out of love for God or for other people. This same word occurs in 2:14c.
the humility that comes from wisdom: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the humility that comes from wisdom is literally “the humility/meekness of wisdom.” This probably means the humility that comes from wisdom (as the Berean Standard Bible translates it). In other words, wisdom is the source from which humility comes.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
the gentleness that wisdom brings (NET Bible)
-or-
humility. This humility comes from wisdom
When someone has humility that comes from wisdom, he has both humility and wisdom. So another way to translate this phrase is:
humility and wisdom (Good News Translation) (The Translator’s Handbook (page 122) and Exegetical Summary (page 136) both treat “humility and wisdom” (Good News Translation) as a separate interpretation from “humility that comes from wisdom.” However it is not certain whether the Good News Translation (and similar Contemporary English Version) really interpret the meaning of the genitive differently or have simply chosen to translate it differently.)
humility: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as humility refers to a submissive and teachable attitude. This attitude is expressed by a person being gentle or mild rather than being harsh or ready to fight.
Some other ways to translate this word are:
meekness (English Standard Version)
-or-
gentleness (New Century Version)
-or-
being mild
See the note on 1:21c “humbly” which translates the same phrase in Greek.
wisdom: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wisdom here refers to the ability to know and choose what is right. Use an expression that corresponds to the one you have chosen for “wise” in 3:13a.
General Comment on 3:13a–c
In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in 3:13a–c. For example:
13aYou who claim to be wise and to perceive things well 13bneed to prove it. In order to prove it, you should behave well. 13cThat is, you should do good without boasting about it. This is the attitude that wise people have.
-or- 13aSome of you think that you are wise and understand what is right and wrong. 13bSo then, behave well. 13cDo good deeds in a gentle/humble way. 13bThis will show/prove that you are wise,13csincetruly wise people are humble.
General Comment on 3:13c
In some languages, it may be necessary to divide this complex clause into several sentences. For example:
13cHe must also show his wisdom by his good deeds. He does these good deeds with a humble attitude. This humility comes from wisdom.
-or- 13cHe must do good and not think he is great or important. That way he will show people that he is wise.
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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.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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