James 4:12

εἷς ἐστιν νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής; the words are intended to show the arrogant impertinence of those who were judging their neighbours on a misinterpretation of the Law. The word νομοθέτης does not occur elsewhere in the N.T., though νομοθετέω and νομοθεσία do; cf. Psalms 27:11. ὁ δυνάμενος σῶσαι καὶ ἀπολέσαι : Cf. Matthew 10:28, τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ, and Luke 6:9. σὺ δὲ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων τὸν πλησίον : we find very similar words in Romans 14:4, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; In Pirqe Aboth, i. 7, we read, “Judge every man in the scale of merit,” i.e., Give every man the benefit of the doubt (Taylor); cf. Shabbath, 127 b, “He who thus judges others will thus himself be judged”.