James 3:13

τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων. St James is here thinking of σοφία and ἐπιστήμη as practical systems of life. σοφία as well as πίστις and ἔλεος must have its ἔργα. Comp. Ephesians 5:15 βλέπετε οὖν�ʼ ὡς σοφοί, where the Apostle indicates a philosophy of life. σοφία, ἀκρίβεια and ἐπιστήμη are closely connected terms: see Aristotle Eth. Nic. I. 7:18. Comp. Sir 16:26 ἐν�. σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων are also connected Deuteronomy 1:13; Deuteronomy 1:15; Deuteronomy 4:6 : δότε ἑαυτοῖς ἄνδρας σοφοὺς καὶ ἐπιστήμονας καὶ συνετοὺς εἰς τὰς φυλὰς ὑμῶν. Comp. Isaiah 33:6 σοφία καὶ ἐπιστήμη καὶ εὐσέβεια πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, Daniel 1:20 καὶ ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι σοφίας καὶ ἐπιστήμης ὦν ἐζήτησε παρʼ αὐτῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς κ.τ.λ.

σοφός, as in Classical Greek, is used of practical skill (thus Oholiab and Bezalel and his fellow-craftsmen are σοφοὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ Exodus 36:1; Exodus 36:4; Exodus 36:8; comp. Arist. Eth. Nic. VI. 7 where the Margitis is cited: τὸν δʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ σκαπτῆρα θεοὶ θέσαν οὔτʼ ἀροτῆρα | οὔτʼ ἄλλως τι σοφόν) as well as of supreme and heavenly wisdom. If any distinction is to be drawn here ἐπιστήμων would refer to the trained and exact Rabbinical knowledge which would tempt its possessor to seek the office of a διδάσκαλος, James 3:1.

ἐκ τῆς καλῆς�. ἀναστροφή lit. a turning back; of a ship returning for a second attack, διέκπλοι δὲ οὐκ εἰσὶν οὐδὲ�, Thuc. II. 89. So of a horse wheeling round, Xen. Mag. Eq. 3. 14, hence from the notion of turning about in a place, a habitation, δαιμόνων� Aesch. Eum. 23. Then later, as here, a mode of life, in old English ‘conversation.’ Comp. Polyb. IV. 89 ὁ Φίλιππος κατά τε τὴν λοιπὴν�. So in Apocr. ἴσθι πεπαιδευμένος ἐν πάσῃ�, Tob 4:14 and 2Ma 5:8, and in N.T. τὴν ἐμήν ποτε�, Galatians 1:13; in two other passages of the Pauline Epp. Ephesians 4:22; 1 Timothy 4:12, and eight times in 1 and 2 Peter, in Hebrews 13:7 τὴν ἔκβασιν τῆς�, the issue of their life. ἀναστροφή is therefore the life of movement and action. The life of Christian Wisdom and of ‘Zeal’ are contrasted in their outcome. καλός as a philosophical term is associated with that which is ideally perfect in life or art. ἡ καλὴ� is therefore the perfect life of action.

ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας, in mildness of wisdom, gentleness which is characterised by wisdom. Comp. mitis sapientia Laeli. See ch. James 1:21. The gentleness of wisdom is perhaps emphasized in contrast to the asperity of philosophic discussion, but here it is more especially opposed to the rivalry of religious parties among the Jews and to that fierce and fanatical spirit indicated by ζῆλος. In a good sense ζῆλος is used of passionate devotion to the cause of Jehovah, ὁ ζῆλος κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων ποιήσει ταῦτα, 2 Kings 19:31; ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκος σου κατέφαγέν με, Psalms 68:9 cited by our Lord, John 2:17, the only passage where the word occurs in the Gospels. But comp. Σίμωνα τὸν καλούμενον ζηλωτήν, Luke 6:15 and the parallel καναναῖος from the Hebrew (קִנְאָה) equivalent to ζῆλος. Thus like other elements in Jewish life ‘zeal’ was turned to account in the kingdom of God. The zealots derived their tenets from the signal instances of zeal in the O.T. such as that of Phinehas Numbers 25:7; Numbers 25:11 or of Jehu 2 Kings 10:16. Then by a natural transition the word became associated with the thought of contention and strife: comp. ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ, Romans 13:13; ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις καὶ διχοστασίαι, 1 Corinthians 3:3; θυμοὶ ἐριθίαι, 2 Corinthians 12:20; ἔρεις ζῆλοι θυμοί, Galatians 5:20. St Paul however recognises its good side as a characteristic of Israel: ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν· ἀλλʼ οὐ κατʼ ἐπίγνωσιν, Romans 10:2.