Lord

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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):

  • Navajo (Dinė): “the one who has charge”
  • Mossi: “the one who has the head” (the leader)
  • Uduk: “chief”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “the one who commands”
  • Kpelle: “person-owner” (a term which may be applied to a chief)
  • Central Pame: “the one who owns us” (or “commands us”)
  • Piro: “the big one” (used commonly of one in authority)
  • San Blas Kuna: “the great one over all” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Guhu-Samane: Soopara (“our Supervisor”) (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
  • Balinese: “Venerated-one” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Yanesha’: “the one who carries us” (source: Nida 1952, p. 159)
  • Northern Emberá: Dadjirã Boro (“our Head”)
  • Rarotongan: Atu (“master or owner of a property”)
  • Gilbertese: Uea (“a person of high status invested with authority to rule the people”)
  • Rotuman: Gagaja (“village chief”)
  • Samoan: Ali’i (“an important word in the native culture, it derives from the Samoan understanding of lordship based on the local traditions”)
  • Tahitian: Fatu (“owner,” “master”)
  • Tuvalu: Te Aliki (“chief”)
  • Fijian: Liuliu (“leader”) (source for this and six above: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1994, p. 329ff. )
  • Bacama: Həmə miye: “owner of people” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
  • Hopi: “Controller” (source: Walls 2000, p. 139)
  • 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.)
  • Ghomala’: Cyəpɔ (“he who is above everyone,” consisting of the verb cyə — to surpass or go beyond — and pɔ — referring to people. No human can claim this attribute, no matter what his or her social status or prestige.” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn )
  • 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)
  • Angami Naga: Niepu (“master,” “owner”)
  • 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”
  • Ao Naga: Kibuba (“human master,” “teacher,” “owner of property,” etc.) (source for this and two above: Nitoy Achumi in The Bible Translator 1992 p. 438ff. )
  • 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: Ambuye Ambuye 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 Greek Septuagint‘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.”

See also Father / Lord.

Translation commentary on Jude 1:25

The pronoun “him” in verse 24 is now made clear by the expression the only God. One of the famous creeds of the Jews is that God is the only God and cannot tolerate rivals. God is described as Savior, which is also a traditional Jewish term for God (note the Old Testament phrase “the God of our salvation” in Psa 64.6; 94.1). God is called “Savior” because he rescued the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, and because he saves them from trouble, difficulty, and the threat of enemies. The title “Savior” is used eight times in the New Testament to refer to God, but more frequently (sixteen times) it is used of Jesus Christ. It is possible that the use of the term for Jesus has as its background the Old Testament usage. It is not unusual for functions and attributes of God in the Old Testament to be used of Jesus.

It is also possible that the term Savior has as its background its use in the popular religions of that period, where the term was used of Greek gods and various rulers. If there is truth in this, then this is one case where the pagan environment has influenced the proclamation of the Christian faith, or where the Christian faith has used pagan culture in order to more meaningfully proclaim and communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As for the meaning of the term itself, it refers to the work of “salvation,” for which see the discussion on Jude 3. Considering the focus of the letter on the future, perhaps salvation here also refers to the gift of new and real life at the end of time.

The expression through Jesus Christ is often found in New Testament doxologies and is distinctively a Christian addition to the traditional doxology form (see Rom 16.27; 1 Peter 4.11). But how does this relate to the whole doxology? Is it related to the function of God as Savior in the sense that God saves us through Jesus Christ, as the Revised Standard Version punctuation has it, or does it relate to the words of praise that follow, giving the sense that it is through Jesus Christ that we ascribe glory and majesty to God? Most translations indicate by the punctuation they use that they prefer the second of these alternatives.

There are four qualities ascribed to God. Glory can mean either “praise” (that is, God is worthy to be praised) or greatness. Majesty describes the awesome splendor of God (see 1 Chr 29.11). The next two terms are similar in meaning, with dominion referring to God’s absolute power, and authority to God’s sovereignty as ruler. All four terms are commonly used in traditional doxologies.

But the question still remains, how do we ascribe all of these to God through Jesus Christ? This can be understood to mean either that it is Jesus Christ who enables people to do this, or else that it is because of Jesus Christ (that is, their relationship to him) that they are now able to praise God and acknowledge his majesty, power, and authority.

These qualities are ascribed to God for all eternity. That is what Jude means by before all time (that is, before any time that is past), and now (that is, the present), and for ever (that is, any time in the indefinite future). Before all time is similar to “before the ages” (1 Cor 2.7), “before the foundation of the world” (John 17.24; Eph 1.4; 1 Peter 1.20), and other similar expressions. It refers to the time before the creation of the world and includes any time that is past.

The closing word Amen is a Hebrew affirmation that is regularly used at the conclusion of prayers and doxologies. The meaning of the expression is “so be it,” or “may this come true,” or “may this happen as we have said.” This term is now used among Christians, usually at the end of a prayer. If it is strange to use it at the end of a doxology formula, then of course it will have to be restructured, in order to avoid confusion between a prayer and a doxology.

In many languages translators will need to restructure these two verses and say, for example:

• The only God, our (inclusive) Savior, is able to keep you from giving in to sin, and to bring you to stand in the dazzling light before him, having no faults and with a joyful heart. May Jesus Christ our Lord cause people to give honor to God and praise him. May they recognize that he has power and authority from the beginning of time, presently, and always forever. Amen.

Or:

• … Because people belong to Jesus Christ, they are now able to give honor to God….

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from Jude. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Jude 1:25

25a

to the only God our Savior: Here Jude affirmed that there is only one God, that he is the only true God, and that God is our Savior.

our Savior: It was common in the Old Testament to speak about God as Savior. God saves (rescues) his people from many types of danger or harm.

In the New Testament this word usually refers to the salvation which God provided through Jesus. This is the way that Jude used it in this verse. Through Jesus Christ, God saved people from being slaves to their sins and from eternal punishment and separation from God. Other ways to say this are:

our rescuer
-or-
our deliverer

Savior: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Savior has the same root as the one that was translated “salvation” in 3c. This is the same Greek word that the Bible often uses to talk about Jesus.

25b

be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority: The Greek text of Jude 25 has no verb. However, in English and some other languages, it is necessary to supply a verb. There are two ways to interpret the meaning of the Greek text here:

(1) Jude was giving praise to God by stating what God is like. So, glory, majesty, dominion, and authority are attributes of God. In English, this idea can be expressed by a verb like “belong” or “are.” For example:

glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(2) Jude was expressing as a type of prayer or desire for God to receive glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. For example:

To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority. (New Century Version)

It is difficult to determine which interpretation English versions follow only by the verb that is used. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jude was praising God by describing what he is like.

glory: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glory is another form of the word that was translated as “glorious” in 24b. In both places it refers to God’s splendor and excellence. Everything about God is the best. He is so splendid and great that nothing can even be compared to him. Sometimes the glory of God is described as the bright light that is part of his splendor.

majesty: This refers to God’s greatness as the king. There is no greater ruler. If your language has a word or phrase that describes the splendor or greatness of an earthly king or chief, you may be able to use it here.

dominion: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as dominion refers to the fact that God is able to do whatever he wants. God is able to accomplish all his perfect plans. In this context, the word does not refer to physical power or strength.

authority: The meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as authority is related to the word translated “dominion.” Here, authority refers to God’s right to rule as the absolute sovereign. He is the rightful ruler of everyone and everything.

25c

through Jesus Christ our Lord: Scholars have different opinions concerning how this phrase relates to the other parts of this verse. Two possibilities are:

(1) It connects with “our Savior” in 25a. Jesus Christ is the agent/person through whom God saved us. God is our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. For example:

25ato the only God, our Savior 25cthrough Jesus Christ our Lord, (Revised Standard Version)

(2) It connects with the list of God’s attributes in 25b, that is, “glory, majesty, dominion, and authority.” For example:

25ato the only God our Saviour, 25b…glory and majesty, power and authority, 25cthrough Jesus Christ our Lord, (Revised English Bible)

Many English versions are ambiguous on this issue. It is impossible to determine which interpretation they follow, based only on the order of phrases. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which fits best with the meaning of each part of the doxology.

Jesus Christ our Lord: This has the same meaning as the similar phrase “our Lord Jesus Christ.” See the notes on 17b and 21b–c.

25d

In the Greek text of Jude 25, this verse part follows 25b. The attributes of God listed there, “glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,” belonged to God for all time. They were his “before all time,” and they belong to him “now, and for all eternity.”

before all time, and now, and for all eternity: The Greek expressions that the Berean Standard Bible translates as before all time, and now, and for all eternity refer to time. They work together to communicate one idea: The attributes in 25b always have belonged to God and always will.

In the notes below, definitions are given for each of these expressions of time. However, in many languages it is not necessary to translate each expression separately to communicate the idea. Look for the most natural way in your language to communicate the meaning. Your translation does not have to follow the form of the Greek text. Examples include:

from the start of time until today and until the end of time
-or-
from the very beginning to the very end
-or-
It has always been so, and it always will be so.
-or-
always and forever

before all time: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as before all time is literally “before all the time/eternity.” This means before time even began. Some ways to say this include:

before all ages
-or-
before time began/was
-or-
before God created anything

now: This means more than just “today.” It refers to the passing of time in this present age, including the time now.

for all eternity: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as for all eternity is literally “into all the ages,” and it means “forevermore, never to end.”

Amen: This word occurs over one hundred times in the New Testament, so you have probably seen it before. It may be familiar to your readers from the Bible version in your national language, or your people may use it to end prayers. If this is so, it is recommended that you use that familiar term here.

However, you may decide to use an expression from your own language to translate the meaning. Some ways to express the meaning in English are:

Truly!
-or-
Indeed!
-or-
So it shall be.

General Comment on 24–25

In some languages, it may be necessary or more natural to identify God as “the only God” at the beginning of this paragraph. In addition, it may be clearer if you reorder other parts of this paragraph. For example:

25aThe only God 24ais the one who is able to keep you from falling, 24band he is able to make you innocent and joyful when he brings you to stand before him in his glory. 25aHe has saved us 25cthrough our Lord, Jesus Christ. 25bGlory, majesty, power, and authority were his 25dsince before time began, are still his now, and will be his forever. Amen.

1:1a

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: In an ancient Greek letter, it was normal for the writer to mention his own name first. So James began this letter with his own name. However, in some languages, starting with James’ name will not make it clear that James was the writer of the letter. It may be necessary to say this explicitly. For example:

This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

In some languages, it is not usual for a person to talk about himself in the third person. In these languages, it may be necessary to say:

I, James, am writing this letter. I am a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
-or-
I am James. I am writing this letter to you. I am a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

James: James was one of Jesus’ younger brothers. He was also one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. He is mentioned in Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, and various other places in the NT. It is important to spell the name James the same way here as you did in those passages.

For more information about James, see the section called “The person who wrote the letter” in the Introduction.

a servant of God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servant also means “slave.” This normally refers to someone who was owned by another person. He worked for his owner without receiving pay.

The phrase servant of God (or more often “servant of the Lord”) is often used figuratively in the Old Testament to describe the relationship that God’s people have to him, their master. It refers to someone who submits to God, serves God, and is devoted and loyal to God.

People often despised servants or slaves. But when someone called himself a servant of God, as James did here, he was not ashamed of it. If you have more than one word to describe servants or slaves, choose the one that is most appropriate to be used in this positive sense that describes a believer’s relationship to God.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

a slave of God (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
a worker of/for God

In some languages, it will be best to translate the word servant as a verb. For example:

I serve God
-or-
belong to God
-or-
submit to God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ: James also called himself a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means someone who has authority over someone or something. Here it is a title that identifies Jesus as God, the one who has supreme authority.

Some other ways to translate Lord are:

Master
-or-
Owner
-or-
supreme Chief/Leader

In some languages, it may be necessary to add a word like “our” before Lord. For example:

our Master/Chief

Christ: The word Christ is sometimes used as a title and sometimes as a name. Even when it is used as a name, it has the same meaning that it has as a title. Here in James, the word Christ probably functions as a title more than as a name. (This is based on the position taken in these Notes that James addressed this letter to Jewish Christians for whom the title “Christ” (or “Messiah”) would have had significant meaning. It is also based on an assumed early date for the book of James (sometime between AD 50 and AD 62), a time before “Christ” came to be established as a name. See, for example, McCartney, page 79, and the Translator’s Handbook, page 8, (which agrees that “Christ” would have been a title to early Christians of Jewish background though the Handbook takes the position that James wrote to Christians in general, Jewish and Gentile alike).)

The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior.

Some ways to translate Christ are:

• Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:

Messiah
-or-
Promised Deliverer
-or-
the Rescuer-King whom God appointed

• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:

Christ, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the Savior whom God promised to send
-or-
the Christ, he comes from God

• Transliterate Christ and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:

the Christ
-or-
the Kirisita

If you do not indicate the meaning of Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain it. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. For example:

The word/title “Christ” refers to the one whom God had promised to send. He would be both king and savior.

1:1b

To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings: In some languages, it may be natural to place the word Greetings before the phrase saying whom James was greeting. For example:

Greetings to the twelve tribes scattered all over the world. (Contemporary English Version)

It may also be necessary to use a verb that means “greets” rather than the noun Greetings. For example:

I greet the twelve tribes scattered among the nations
-or-
I say “hello” to you twelve tribes scattered among the nations

To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Most scholars interpret the phrase the twelve tribes to refer to Christians. (A small group of scholars say that James was writing to all Jews. For more information, see the section called “The people to whom James wrote” in the Introduction.) However, there are two ways to interpret which Christians this phrase refers to:

(1) It refers to Jewish Christians who were scattered in other countries. The twelve tribes was a common way to refer to the Jews. Here it refers to Jews who were Christians. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.

(New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(2) It refers to both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Certain passages describe Christians as true or spiritual Israel. (See, for example, Galatians 3:7 and Galatians 3:29). Christians are of the Dispersion in the sense that they do not live in heaven which is their true homeland. For example, the Good News Translation says:

to all God’s people scattered over the whole world

(Good News Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word)

Most English versions translate this phrase literally and do not make it clear to whom the phrase refers. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) (We are following a majority of Bible scholars, though opinion is split on this issue.) and make this interpretation clear either in the text or in a footnote.

Some ways to translate this phrase are:

• Make it explicit that the phrase the twelve tribes refers to the twelve tribes “of Israel.” For example:

to the twelve tribes/clans of Israel who are scattered among the nations
-or-
to the people of Israel who are scattered among the nations

If you do this, you should include a footnote to explain that the twelve tribes refers to Jewish Christians.

• Make it explicit that the phrase the twelve tribes refers to Jewish Christians. For example:

to Jewish believers who are scattered among the nations

the twelve tribes: The phrase the twelve tribes refers to the descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons, whom God renamed as Israel. These people all spoke the same language and all considered themselves to belong to the same ethnic group.

In some languages it is more natural to call them:

clans
-or-
sections/divisions

of the Dispersion: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Dispersion refers to certain times during the Jews’ history, when they had been forced to flee from their country. Many of them still lived in other (non-Jewish) countries. These are the people who would normally be referred to as the Dispersion.

However, James was probably writing to Jewish Christians. So he might also have meant the Jewish believers who had been forced to leave Jerusalem because they had been persecuted for their faith. See Acts 11:19 for an example.

The word Dispersion means that these people were living outside of their country or home areas. It does not mean that these people were living far apart from each other.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

dispersed throughout the world (Revised English Bible)
-or-
spread outside of their homeland
-or-
living in other countries

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