James 2:19

σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἶς ἐστιν ὁ θεός : Cf. Mark 12:29 1 Corinthians 8:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6. The reading varies, see critical note above; the interrogative is unsuitable, see note on ἔχεις in the preceding verse. Somewhat striking is the fact that the regular and universally accepted formula (whether Hebrew or Greek) among the Jews is not adhered to; the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 6:4, which corresponds strictly to the original, runs: Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος εἶς ἐστιν, and this is also the exact wording in Mark 12:29, The stress laid on Κύριος (= יהוה) in the original is very pointed, the reason being the desire to emphasise the name of Jahwe as the God of Israel (note the omission of the article before Κύριος); it sounded a particularistic note. The elimination of Κύριος in the verse before us, and the emphatic position of ὁ Θεός, is most likely intentional, and points to a universalistic tendency, such as is known to have been a distinctive characteristic of Hellenistic Judaism. To Jews of all kinds belief in the unity of God formed the basis of faith; this unity is expressed in what is called the Shema‘ (Deuteronomy 6:4 ff.), i.e., “Hear,” from the opening word of the passage referred to; strictly speaking, it includes Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41, though originally it consisted of the one verse, Deuteronomy 6:4. From the time of the Exile, according to Berachoth, i. 1, the recitation of the Shema‘ every morning and evening became the solemn duty of all true Jews. To the present day it is the confession of faith which every Jew breathes upon his death-bed. It is said of Rabbi Akiba, who suffered the martyr's death, that he breathed out at the last the word “One” in reference to the belief in the Unity of God as contained in the Shema‘ (Ber., 61 b). A few instances may be given from Jewish literature in order to show the great importance of and honour attaching to the Shema‘ : “They cool the flames of Gehinnom for him who reads the Shema‘ ” (Ber., 15 b); “Whoever reads the Shema‘ upon his couch is as one that defends himself with a two-edged sword” (Meg., 3 a); it is said in Ber., i. § 2, that to him who goes on reading the Shema‘ after the prescribed time no harm will come; in Suk., 42 a, it is commanded that a father must teach his son to read the Shema‘ as soon as he begins to speak. The very parchment on which the Shema‘ is written is efficacious in keeping demons at a distance. The single personality of God is frequently insisted upon in the O.T., Targums, and later Jewish literature; in the latter this fundamental article was sometimes believed to be impugned by Christian teaching concerning God, and we therefore find passages in which this latter is combated (see, on this, Oesterley and Box, op. cit., p. 155); in the Targums all anthropomorphisms are avoided, since they were considered derogatory to the Divine Personality. We must suppose that it was owing to this intense jealousy wherewith the doctrine of the Unity of God was guarded that in the passage before us there are no qualifying words regarding the Godhead of Christ; when St. Paul (1 Corinthians 8:6) enunciates the same doctrine, ἀλλʼ ἡμῖν εἶς θεὸς ὁ πατήρ, he is careful to add, καὶ εἶς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Such an addition might well have been expected in the verse before us; its omission must perhaps be accounted for owing to the very pronounced Judaistic character of the writer. καλῶς ποιεῖς : it is impossible to believe that there is anything ironical about these words; as far as it went this belief was absolutely right; the context, which is sometimes interpreted as showing the irony of these words, only emphasises the inadequacy of the belief by itself. τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν : one is, of course, reminded of the passage, Luke 8:26 ff. (= Matthew 8:28 ff.), already alluded to above: δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς, or, more graphically, in the parallel passage, ἔκραξαν λέγοντες, τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς; cf. Acts 19:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:18. On demons see the writer's article in Hastings' D.C.G., i. 438 ff. Mayor gives some interesting reminiscences of these words in other early Christian writings, e.g., Justin, Trypho, 49, etc. φρίσσουσιν : ἅπ. λέγ. in the N.T.; literally “to bristle,” cf. Job 4:15; the very materialistic ideas concerning evil spirits which is so characteristic of Jewish Demonology would account for an expression which is not, strictly speaking, applicable to immaterial beings. One of the classes of demons comprised the שׂעירים (“hairy ones”), in reference to these the word φρίσσουσιν would be extremely appropriate (see further, on Jewish beliefs concerning demons, the writer's articles in the Expositor, April, June, August, 1907).