James 1:25

παρακύψας. First of stooping or inclining to one side (not stooping down), either with a verb of looking, or absolutely as here: παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια, Luke 24:12; παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια, John 20:5; ὡς οὖν ἔκλαιεν παρέκυψεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, ib. 11; εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι, 1 Peter 1:12; see also Genesis 26:8; Proverbs 7:6. Though the strict meaning of παρακύπτειν is to glance sideways or ‘to peep,’ as ἄφρων�, Sir 21:23, the context sometimes, as here, carries with it the sense of intently gazing. See Dr Field, Otium Norvicense, on Luke 24:12 and on this passage.

εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας, into a perfect law, namely the law of liberty. The absence of the article before νόμον is noticeable. The conception is first stated generally, a perfect law; the article introduces a limitation defining that perfect law to be the law of liberty. It is an idiom which secures attention to the anarthrous noun. See Winer III. § xx. 4 and Green p. 34, and note the following examples: εἰρήνην�, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, John 14:27; εἰ γὰπ ἐδόθη νόμος ὁ δονάμενος ζωοποιῆσαι, Galatians 3:21, where see Ellicott; ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, Galatians 2:20.

τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας. The freedom of the law of Christ is contrasted with the bondage to minute precepts which characterized the developed Mosaic system: τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν· στήκετε οὖν καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε, Galatians 5:1; γνώσεσθε τὴν�, John 8:32; comp. with this λόγῳ� supra James 1:18; ἐὰν οὖν ὁ υἱὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃ ὄντως ἐλεύθεροι ἔσεσθε, John 8:36. See also Romans 8:15. Christians are children of God, liberi not servi. Comp. cui servire regnare est, ‘whose service is perfect freedom.’ Collect for Peace, from Sacramentary of Gelasius.

The law of Christ then is called a perfect law because it is final and complete, as distinct from the Mosaic law which was transitory and imperfect; it is called a law of liberty because it is the expression of a Father’s love for his children, not of a Master’s law for slaves.

καὶ παραμείνας. The secret of Christian service is constancy, fixedness on the ideal self discovered in the perfect law: ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, κύριε, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελέτη μού ἐστιν, Psalms 119:97.

ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς, a forgetful hearer. A Hebrew construction frequent in N.T., as πάθη�, Romans 1:26; κριτὴς τῆς�, Luke 18:6; ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς�, Luke 16:8. The idiom is partly due to the vividness of Oriental speech, partly to the comparative paucity of adjectives in Hebrew. There are however parallels in the classics: μέλαινα δʼ ἄστρων … εὐφρόνη, ‘starry night,’ Soph. El. 19; λευκῆς χιόνος πτέρυγι, Ant. 114, ‘a snowy wing’; Winer, P. III. § 34 b; Green, p. 90; Donaldson, Greek Gram. 454.

ἐπιλησμονή not classical, and here only in N.T.

ποιητὴς ἔργου. The condition of abiding in the law of liberty is activity in the exercise of it. Hence the transition to true worship or service.

μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ. See John 8:31-34, the thought of which passage underlies this, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ�, καὶ γνώσεσθε τὴν�, καὶ ἡ� … ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν (comp. with ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ) δοῦλός ἐστιν. Sin and righteousness are regarded as creations. If the ‘maker’ keeps his eye fixed on the model—abiding in that steadfast gaze—he will be happy in his making, as every artist or maker of things true and beautiful knows. His making will be true to his γένεσις.

ποίησις. Here only in N.T. Comp. καὶ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ ποίησις νόμου, Sir 19:20.